Reinventing the Wheel
by pyro69j
Summary: Three centuries of watching generations birthed, living and dying left a bad enough taste in his mouth for Harry to turn his wand on himself. Wanting to rejoin his loved ones, he finds himself again being the butt of a cosmic joke and having to return to the past to set it all straight. New friends and old alike a this Harry tilts the world on its ear. Harem Super!Harry
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: If you don't know who owns all things Harry Potter by now, what rock have you been living underneath? JKR owns them, I just figure out ways to put them in a bag and shake them up. Then I open it up and see what happens next. All of this is of course done free of charge, not that I could get paid to save my life…**

Harry Potter sat in his rocking chair next to the fire, as he had done for the past 50 years, staring into the flames as the danced and flickered. He was lost in thought, remembering tales from his misspent youth. He was damn near 300 years old and had yet to show his age to be a day over thirty. He had lost so many friends, first to the horrors of war, then to old age. He had outlived them all, yet he had long since died inside. Silent tears began to trickle down his face as he thought of them.

Ron, Hermione, Sirius, Remus, Tonks, Teddy, Charlie, Bill and Fleur, Ginny, Luna, Neville….the list went on from there to include descendants to the second generation before he withdrew from the world. He had sealed himself inside his home and had not responded to anyone in so long that he had been forgotten, save as a footnote in some history books. He was not so much apathetic as he was just tired of living.

His friends had all found companions and families, whilst he had been the eccentric uncle that traveled the world and told the best stories. He always had souvenirs and pensive memories from his misadventures, though some of it was censored, as he was no monk, and some things were not for anyone to see. He enjoyed telling the tales, but eventually he noticed something rather odd: he was not aging. His friends all eventually showed the classic signs of it- the greying and thinning of hair, the wrinkles, etc. Yet Harry was the same. He would have been fine with everything, until his friends started passing on, one or two at a time, until he was left being "Uncle Harry." He kept up appearances for his adopted nieces and nephews, but they could tell he was not happy.

At first it was when he would be telling a particular story of the old days and make a reference to a running joke that would have caused a knowing look or two and perhaps a chuckle or mock-outrageous outburst, expecting to be rebuked or have someone join him in the mirth, but he noticed that more and more the jokes were going over the heads of his audience and fewer and fewer of the people recognized the various characters and events as more than historical content. He became more of a novelty throwback than a hero or friend, and as time marched on in its inevitable journey, he found it increasingly difficult to be seen as something more than some fossilized relic or oddity from an era most chose to ignore. Thus, once the grandchildren of his friend's children began going to Hogwarts, Harry Potter vanished.

At first he kept in touch via post, but when owl services were abandoned in favor of newer advances, he chose to let himself fall behind the times, and eventually the requests to visit became fewer and his relationships with them became more and more distant. Harry stared into the fire one last time before he simply picked his trusty wand and pointed the end toward his temple, then repeated the two words that stated it all- _AVADA KEDAVRA!_ The flash of green light, the color of his mother's and his eyes was followed by nothingness. His body slumped to the floor, yet somehow he found himself hurdled through a strange tunnel with splashes of rainbow colors, before darkness claimed him. "FINALLY!" Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, Vanquisher of Lord Voldemort, Champion of the Light had finally retired for good.

HP

Or so he thought. Harry found his consciousness had drifted- much as a feather on a gentle breeze- to a place which resembled some sort of office building. He cursed his luck and began to fumble around in his robes for his wand, but quickly gathered that he was naked, save for some strange tunic which resembled a Greek or Roman toga, and his wand was nowhere to be found.

"Well, this is just bloody outstanding!" Harry thought to himself with an edge of bitter sarcasm. He glanced around and noticed a sign which he could have sworn was not there but a moment ago. The sign read:

 **WELCOME TO THE NEXT ADVENTURE!**

 **CENTRAL PROCESSING**

 **RING BELL FOR SERVICE**

 **THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING DEATH'S CONDUIT**

 **THE AFTERLIFE INC.**

Harry reached up and ran his fingers through his already thrice-damned unruly raven locks as he exclaimed, "O Bloody Hell! Prongs? Padfoot? Moony? Gred? Forge? Teddy? Whoever of you is responsible for this sick prank is going to regret it!" He paused as he began surveying the large room, trying to use his Aura Sense to scan for anyone hidden by normal magical means. Though the ability did still work, he saw no one nor any of the usual tell-tale signs of someone using any known form of magical concealment. Still keeping himself on the alert, he resigned himself to following the advice printed on the sign. He approached the desk and rang the bell.

After doing so, Harry stood in front of the desk, hoping to get some answers. He waited for what in his estimation would have been a tad bit longer than he felt was polite, before he started to turn away, intending to go somewhere else. Just as he was leaving, he heard a door open and out walked the most attractive female he had ever seen. She was magnificent with her pale alabaster skin and ink black hair, violet eyes and dressed in a black power suit that clung to her ample curves. She held a thick file folder, so full of various colored papers that Harry was afraid the damned thing was going to explode in her hand as well as some sort of clipboard.

"Mr. Potter, how nice of you to join me today! I am Heather, your personal death representative. It seems there has been some sort of bolloxing up here and you were supposed to…" she opened the file folder and looked down at it, as if she was looking to find a reference, before continuing, "no…this can't be right! I mean, I am correct about someone bolloxing your file here, but according to this addendum here, it appears as if your destiny has vanished completely! O dear! This is unheard of in the history of this department! Heads are going to roll for certain!" The last bit seemed almost as if she was speaking with herself rather than addressing Harry.

Harry just pinched the bridge of his nose and took the opportunity to speak, "Erm…Heather was it? Where the bloody hell am I, and what in the bloody hell are you talking about? Sure, I lived an unusually lengthy life, but I just AKed myself because I just didn't want to continue living in a world without my friends and family. I was assured that when I passed on, I would be reunited with them, and yet here I stand. I confess that after all the cocked up shite that has been my life, not much takes me by surprise anymore, what with being fate's proverbial bitch and all, yet I have to admit this is probably the most complete and utter rubbish! I lose my parents at barely a year old and then was sentenced to hell on earth for the next decade, forced to slave away like a house elf at Malfoy Manor, beaten, starved and belittled at every turn, with no recourse nor champion to spare me the abuse! Then, I was whisked away and informed that I was a wizard, which gave me hope that maybe things were turning up for me for a change! Yet when I entered the secret world of wizards and magic, I find myself exposed to the most ridiculous turn of events each and every goddamned year!

First, there was Quirelmort and the Philosopher's Stone, then the ruddy thousand-year-old basilisk and the whole bloody diary fiasco, followed by a short reunion with my surrogate Uncle Remus and exposure to the foulest creatures on earth trying to devour my bleeding soul, discovering my not-so-guilty godfather had been thrown into a prison full of the very same monstrosities for the same thirteen years I had been with my oh so loving relatives in a prison of my own! He was thrown into that thrice damned place without even a bloody trial, framed for betraying my parents, whom he loved like siblings, mind you.

Never the less, He broke out of Azkaban to save me from the real traitor only for that incompetent waste of flesh known as Cornelius Fudge to ignore the evidence of the truth after I had been forced to use my patronus charm to drive off a full one hundred of the dementors with a charm that few fully-trained adult wizards could master, much less a third-year student. Then to top it all off I had to use a fucking time turner and go back to save my own godfather, despite his innocence and evidence to back it up in the form of one Peter Pettigrew's confession. Instead I was shrugged off as being manipulated by confundus charms. Then the whole bloody Goblet of Fire, followed by the resurrection in the graveyard, Umbitch and the DA, the mental link to Voldie, the DOM fiasco, sixth year following breadcrumbs, the fake horcrux, Death Eaters through the vanishing cabinet, Dumbles dying, the year of horcrux hunting, then the Battle for Hogwarts and the final vanquishing of Riddle. I went through all of that shite, only to find out I am some kind of freak that couldn't die. I was cursed, stabbed, beaten, thrown from buildings by explosions, frozen, cooked and had pieces of me completely amputated only to reawaken later as if nothing had happened and no signs of any injury. I stopped aging and watched as my friends did, then one by one they died and I became a fossil until I went hermit and finally took matters into my own hands! At this point, telling me that someone bolloxed their job a tad bit would be like saying that Voldemort was a toddler throwing a temper tantrum! I just want to know what the bloody fuck I did to someone to deserve all of that?"

The whole time he was ranting, Harry had been pacing the room and throwing his hands in the air with gestures and his aura became a tangible force, blowing winds and shooting crackles of magical static splashing a rainbow of colors about the room. Heather had to hug the folder to her ample bosom and crouch to avoid being blown completely off of her feet by the sheer magnitude of the energies at play.

She took the opportunity to respond once Harry had asked the final rhetorical question, smoothing her hair and shouting, "MR. POTTER! PLEASE CALM DOWN AND LET ME FINISH!" Her face was red from exertion as she struggled to shout above the noise. Harry was taken aback by the outburst as no one had even addressed him in such a manner since McGonagall had retired as Headmistress of Hogwarts some 250 years ago.

Heather was visibly shaken by the display of raw power in evidence, and she hastily produced a small flask before Harry reacted. He simply reached out with his magic and flung the flask away before shouting, "I bloody knew it! You damned dark witches and wizards think you can use that one on _ME?_ Ask Barty Crouch Jr how well that one worked! Sure, he got away with it for an entire school year, but I was fourteen at the time and extremely naïve! At three hundred, I believe using Polyjuice to mask your identity is not going to work very well!"

Heather was shocked at the speed of his attack, but she recovered rather quickly, "I assure you Mr. Potter, that was simply alcohol and after nearly soiling my knickers, I needed a stiff drink! Now I am exactly who I claim to be! CALM DOWN AND LET ME FINISH!"

She took a pause to capture her breath, she was pale and shaken, her hands trembling as she took in shaky breaths before continuing, "Now, Mr. Potter, it seems you are a bit of an anomaly. You were actually not supposed to exist at all, but since you are here now, I suspect someone was playing fast and loose with the Fates. That having been said, unfortunately, you will be unable to cross over at this time. Apparently for your troubles, you have been granted a wonderful boon! You, unlike anyone else in the history of our department, will be receiving a special gift! You will be able to take your knowledge and magical abilities with you when you return. You can choose to relive things as they went or you can rewrite your story. The Fates will have no further say in your life and you can choose to offer this protection to anyone simply by caring about or loving them. I will check in from time to time to answer questions and give you a few hints, but your fate is up to you!"

She smiled as Harry began to pound his forehead on the counter, "Really? I just can't seem to catch a break! So, you are telling me I have to go back? As in relive all of my horrible past? Why the fuck is it always me?" Harry had his face in his hands and his eyes shut as he rubbed his fingertips over his temples.

Heather grimaced and with a look of compassion she responded, "Unfortunately, yes I am. But I am going to break every rule I can to stack the proverbial deck in your favor. First, I will be granting you use of a very special blade." She reached out and gestured her hand and a sword appeared out of nothingness. The hilt was marked with runes in a language Harry had never seen, adorned by gems of untold worth and beauty. The guard was a simple round metallic piece, which almost looked as if someone had stabbed a galleon. The blade however was not there.

Harry let out a guffaw, "So I get some kind of decoration in the shape of a sword hilt? Wow, spare the expenses there, Heather!"

Yet as soon as he touched the hilt, a nimbus of energy glowed an unearthly blue, concentrated about where the blade would be if the sword had one. The blade felt as if it were virtually non-existent for the weight. Harry gave it a tentative swing and watched as the counter burst into a shower of blinding flame. He flinched and dropped the hilt in shock, and as soon as it left his hand, the blue nimbus disappeared once more. Harry grinned sheepishly as he chuckled, "Well, I reckon that might have come in handy just a few times. What else do you have?"

Heather wiped sweat from her brow and pushed her spectacles back to the bridge of her nose as she returned Harry a grin of her own, "Well, Mr. Potter, besides the Darkslayer Blade, I have a potion known as Ambrosia. It will make you impervious to physical damage, boost your physical strength, and grant you an almost infinite ability to absorb and apply information. I have a ring, which once belonged to the High Priestess of the Mother. It is reputed to grant its user the ability to walk in shadows and mask his or her presence from all types of detection. Then, finally I have a scroll that when read aloud, the incantation grants the bearer Authority. I am uncertain what exactly that means, but it sounds pretty fetching!"

Harry took the vial from Heather and inspected its contents. The pure golden liquid looked much like Felix Felicis or liquid luck, but it was much brighter and viscous to the point of reminding Harry of honey. He returned the vial to her and responded, "Fine. Send me back. Just tell me I won't be seeing the inside of my mum and experiencing my birth first-hand!"

Heather laughed, "No. Actually the arithmancy determines that the best time to send you would be the summer before first year, or the summer after third. Both starting points have their own benefits and drawbacks, it just depends on just how much you intend to change. The sooner you return in the timeline, the more changes will happen. You will have to find a way to forge friendships with some people whom you ignored or were ignorant of the last go around, as well as face different challenges and barriers to overcome in regaining friendships with those you did befriend. If you choose the later start, some of those barriers and such will not be present when dealing with your previous friends, but you will have alienated or possibly even doomed any new friendships you have gained. Just a word of advice, but I think the outcome this time will be just as dependent upon your connections as your abilities, so I would select the early start. Some of the ones you called friends and family were undeserving of such an honor, and some of those you denied the honor through either ignorance or design were actually more deserving. Be that as it may, I will send you back. The items in question will be available to you, but you must uncover them quickly. They were not meant for discovery and would be disastrous if fallen into the wrong hands."

Heather leaned in and gave Harry a deep and passionate kiss, which took him completely by surprise, before smirking and saying, "I have been wanting to do that ever since I saw your file on my desk. Now with that final bit out of the way, it is time for a decision. So what is the choice, door number one or door number two?"

Harry shook off the cloud of lust that had begun addling his brain before coughing and speaking, "Since I have so little choice in the matter, I will choose the early route as you suggested."

Heather squealed in delight and bounced in place with a huge grin on her face, "Oh you are going to love this time around!" She snapped her fingers and Harry found himself navigating the strange tunnel from before as he lost track of his surroundings and drifted to sleep, darkness claiming his conscious mind.

 **AN: So here is chapter one of my saga. I hope it will not only be a better story, but hopefully my muse will not abandon me. Just FYI, this will be a harem fic, with all the usual perks. Please be kind and review. No flames though. I am into the opposite sex, and as my nomme de guerre implies, I will be the only one playing with fire during this fic.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I wish I owned more than the computer on which I am using, but I don't. Harry Potter belongs to JKR and the respective media houses.**

Harry awoke with a start. He opened his eyes to the familiar yet long-since left behind scene of his cupboard at the Dursleys. He felt around in the dark for his old glasses until he remembered he was a wizard. He did a quick oculus reparo on his eyes and then did a quick tempus and found the time to be early morning on September 1st, 1991. He shook his head to clear the cobwebs in his brain before he took a few calming breaths. He reflected on everything he knew and decided to put together a mental list of things to do. His list of immediate goals was short, but the impact of accomplishing them would set him up for success. His list included the following:

Reestablish his mindscape and occlumental barriers

Heal his body and correct imperfections

Secure virtual freedom from abuse by re-establishing and altering the "pecking order"

Board the Hogwarts Express

Begin making alliances to further his needs and goals in the long term

Harry sat in his cupboard clearing his mind through meditation. He laughed as he remembered how ineffective teachers in the mind arts had kept him from mastering the concept until well into his second century. He had stumbled upon an ancient temple in the Himalayas while tracking a particular nasty cult of dark wizards that had terrorizing the local yetis. A sudden blizzard had set in and Harry had found himself holed up in what he thought was a small cave behind a small fissure in the sheer face of the cliff. After setting up a fire, he had stripped down to his skivvies and rummaged through his pack for a change of clothing. Sure, he could have used magic to clean dry and refresh his soiled, soaked garments, but Harry still preferred to do some things the muggle way. While waiting on his clothes to dry, Harry had procured his favorite travel teapot and was set to brew. He simply used the snow around him to fill the pot and waited for it to steam.

He had then fished out one his MRE meals and began fixing a bite to fill his food-deprived stomach with much-needed sustenance. Apparently his activities had gained the interest of a local Shimbala Master, and since Harry had inadvertently set up at the entrance to Shangri-La, the master had set out to meet their uninvited guest and ascertain his purpose. After a lengthy conversation, Harry had become a guest of the master, and spent time learning the ways of Shimbala. That had taught him the key to unlocking his mindscape, and Harry had become a virtual savant of the mind arts from that day forward. The key was not in clearing the mind of all thoughts and feelings, but to embrace them and organize them. The first few times were difficult and exhausting, but eventually Harry had to only spend a few moments every day in his mindscape to maintain the construct and keep his mind protected.

Harry easily began sorting his mind and layering it with his signature traps and barriers. The entire process took him roughly one half-hour. He was checking over his core when he noticed some discrepancies between the sight before him now and the one he was used to viewing. The core was almost four times the size of what it should have been at his age, and while it used to be a nice bright blue, the color had shifted to a deep green. He spent time looking for the presence of any foreign entities, believing that banishing Snake-Face from his mind would be a good idea. Upon inspection, he found no sign of the vile darkness that would have signified Tom, so he looked deeper and found a set of memories that were not his own. He quickly reviewed and sorted the memories according to the categories he felt the information could best be used and then once he was satisfied with the job, he began re-routed the conduits leading from his core to the rest of his body. He noticed the old channels had been shallow and occluded, mired down by what he only could assume were blocks. He simply bypassed the bottlenecks and began widening the new pathways until they were as close to what he wanted them to be as he could accomplish at eleven years of age.

The by-product of fixing his conduits was that his body used the excess magical energy to correct and heal his body to the standards of a highly trained athlete at his age. Harry grew until his height was on par with being on the tallest end of the margin for his age, with his bone density increasing to slightly less than carbon 20 steel, but somehow remaining buoyant enough to allow him to swim without sinking. The scars from the numerous injuries he had accrued had all but faded into non-existence. His muscles and endurance levels increased to a level that he was capable of being on par with most adult wizards in strength and his physical stamina would be on par with athletes at highest competitive levels. He was no super-human, but he would be very difficult to defeat in combat, and his abilities would only continue to increase as he further developed.

After he had finished his enhancements, Harry felt he was ready for the next phase of his plan: confronting his tormentors and teaching them the true meaning of being a victim. He was not evil, and had no desire to do any lasting damage, but he would defend himself against their usual tactics. More than likely, he surmised, that would include a bit of a demonstration as to why it was no longer a good idea to attempt physical violence or abuse, and said demonstration would most likely have to include physical violence to emphasize his point, Harry was indeed prepared for things to get a bit messy before he made his final point: mutual dislike and a desire to live and let live.

Harry would, for the time being, exist under the Dursleys' roof, but they were to leave him be and he would return the favor. His only expectations from them were to provide him with meals and better living accommodations. Aside from that, he would be free to come and go as he pleased and he would not challenge their sense of propriety and order by exposing them to any displays of magical prowess. He would complete certain tasks which he agreed upon to be his daily chores, but no longer would he be the proverbial whipping boy, nor resident slave. Any attempts to deviate from the new parameters Harry planned on establishing would be met with extreme resistance and severe penalties on the part of the aggressors. Moving forward, as long as they agreed to treat him with a minimum civility when dealing with him, they had nothing about which to worry. All in all, Harry felt after a tiny amount of persuasion, his new rules would be more than reasonable. Of course no plan fully survives firat contact with the enemy, so Harry was fully aware that it may take some not-so-small feat of convincing to accomplish that goal.

Suddenly, Harry felt the pangs of hunger stir, and he carefully applied his "stealth package" which was a combination of silencing charms, odor-blockers, magic and heat signature suppressors and disillusionment charms. He cast a silent unlocking charm on the door to the cupboard and then silenced the frame and hinges of the doorway before silently opening the door to his "cell," and creeping down the narrow hall to the kitchen area. Harry then quickly fixed himself a few sandwiches, a glass of milk and some fresh fruits and nuts. He needed the vitamins and minerals to help replenish the nutrients he had lost during enhancing himself earlier. He then, in a feat that would make Ron "the Garbage-Chute" Weasley jealous, devoured his hastily prepared meal. Another quick tempus revealed that Harry had ten minutes remaining before Aunt Petunia would come downstairs to let him out and begin his daily routine of servitude and abuse. He smiled to himself as he envisioned the looks on their faces once his lessons about the new order of things would sink into their tiny brains. He was nearly beside himself with excitement as he quietly banished the evidence of his "transgressions" and after a quick cleaning charm and a series of levitations, all his dishes were replaced to their assigned storage spaces. Harry then crept upstairs to the wc and handled his morning business before returning to his "cell" and awaiting his imminent release from nightly lock-down.

True to form, Petunia came down the stairs and warily eyed the cupboard to which her nephew had been relegated. She reached in her handbag and after some jingling and digging about produced the key to the lock and prepared to open the door. She could not quite place it, but somehow something seemed a bit off than normal to her, as if there had been a subtle change in the very fabric of existence within the household. As a heretofore undeclared squib, Petunia was even more sensitive to shifts in magic than an average muggle, so naturally she would notice but be unable to identify the source nor the actual changes, yet she could sense them, nevertheless.

She had not felt such power since the last time Lilly had come home and brought that handsome boy with her. Secretly, Petunia still masturbated to the face of what had been her future brother-in-law, as Vernon had not been practicing his bedroom activities with her since Dudley had been born and Petunia Dursley nee Evans was a woman with needs too, thank you very much! She quickly suppressed the unbidden thoughts and associated memories that would have her seeking release later that morning after Vernon had left for work, and unlocked the door to the cupboard. She straightened her bathrobe, and prepared to speak when she found she could not.

Inside the cupboard was something she was completely unprepared to handle: the image of Harry Potter within was far from the boy who had been so easily tossed back inside the previous night. This Harry was almost a carbon copy of his father, but the eerie part of the sight before her was that the boy was staring back at her with _those_ eyes. Everyone always thought _she_ had the loveliest eyes, how Petunia hated those verdant orbs! Petunia had dark brown almost charcoal black eyes, and no one ever complimented her on their beauty like they always seemed to do for her sister. Even from beyond the grave, Petunia just couldn't compete with darling Lily, and that fact incensed her mercilessly. Petunia froze in place as her brain tried to process just how much the boy could resemble the object of her deepest fantasies and the object of her deepest inadequacies had combined into one living being, and how in a cruel twist of fate, Petunia was forced with each passing day to face the anomaly each time she looked at the freak. Her mouth opened and closed rapidly as her pulse quickened and her skin flushed in embarrassed anger. Slowly she shook her head as the boy in question chuckled aloud before saying, "Why Aunt Petunia, dearest, that is nearly the best impression of a trout caught on the riverbank that I have ever seen! Good job on you! I never knew you had such acting prowess! You should try to get yourself on the tellie, perhaps Graham Norton could invite a few others to the show and you could really make a killing! Tell you what, since I discovered you, I will be your agent. The standard fifteen percent management fee work for you?"

Petunia responded in a quieted hiss, "Listen here you damned freak! I don't know what you are on about or how you have done whatever you have done last night, but you had best undo it before Vernon comes down for brekkie, if you know what is good for you! You know we don't tolerate this…freakishness underneath this roof!"

Harry had stepped out form the cupboard and ducked under the initial swipe of his Aunt's backhand, simultaneously grasping her wrist and spinning her away from him so her arm was pinned behind her back as he snarled, "Sorry Auntie, wrong response! There will be no more of that funny business under this roof! The next time any of you tries to harm someone physically whether it be any of you lot or myself, I will take the time to show you in much further detail the errors of our ways! The days of free labor and a built-in whipping boy are long since over, not that they should have happened in the first place!"

He emphasized the last sentence by further lifting the angle of her forearm until her wrist was pinned nearly between her shoulder blades. He then used the pain of the position to manipulate his aunt until she was in front of the sofa in the sitting room. Once there, he simultaneously released her wrist, shoved her forward and left her falling face first into the couch with a parting kick to her bony arse. She landed with a thud and groaned in pain before trying to get back up and confront Harry. Harry simply waved his hand and she found herself propelled bodily back into the sofa. This time, however she was facing him, so she landed more or less in a seated position, though she did crack her head against the wall behind her, bringing a whimper of pain and tears to her squinty eyes. Harry also had sent a sticking charm and a body bind at her timed to impact just as she righted herself, so she was effectively forced to sit still in her place on the sofa before him. She tried to cry out for Vernon, but Harry had silently cast a muffling charm in anticipation of just such a response so the shouts were useless and Harry told her as much.

"Sorry Petunia dearest, but my fat whale of an uncle will not hear you at the moment. I will deal with him promptly once he shows his ugly head, but for now sit down and listen to what I am about to say, you pathetic cow! How my mother could have been related to such a disgusting and vile creature such as yourself is beyond me! My parents are dead, Aunt Petunia. I am the sole living heir to their legacy. I was a baby! I had no choice in the matter, and yet instead of taking me in and treating me as one of your own like most families would have done, you chose to allow your whale of a husband and your sprog to bully me, belittle me and deprive me of not only love and affection, but of common decency!" The room was pulsing with energy as Harry's aura manifested itself about him during his rant. The magazines, pillows and various knick-knacks were sent about the room swirling in a whirlwind of energies, the air crisp with the scent of ozone and glowing mildly as it became increasingly palpable.

He took a deep breath and using his occlumency, he calmed his emotions, allowing things to settle down again. He took another deep breath and continued "Do you have any idea how hard it is to be as highly intelligent as I happen to be and have to purposefully put the incorrect information on all of my assignments and exams so that I could comply with Vernon's ridiculous requirement that I not out-perform Dudley academically? Dudley is not stupid by any means, but he has no desire to study nor to excel in that arena, therefore he coasts by barely receiving passing marks for his lack of effort! He and his little merry band of hooligans, by extension, have made it their mission in life to ensure not only am I seen as a bad egg in class, but they gang up upon and bully anyone who they see trying to befriend me or offer me the slightest bit of comfort? All I ever wanted in life was for just once to have one of you show me some sort of affection or approval, yet it always seemed that my very existence was blight upon the lot of you. Now that I know the reason why, I find myself disgusted and thoroughly sickened by the pettiness and spite in your pathetic excuse for a heart. My father was a great wizard, and my mum was considered the brightest witch to attend her school since Lady Ravenclaw herself helped found it. They were both considered to be elite amongst their peers and would probably have changed the entire wizarding world if not for a thrice-damned vision from a flaky bint being overheard by the wrong sort and though the eavesdropper was caught and apprehended before completely finishing the task, promptly found his way to the ears of his master.

Said master then targeted my family, seeing us as a threat to his ambitions to both rule over the rest of the magical population and then enslave the non-magical population. Despite taking extreme precautions to ensure our safety, this maniac eventually located our safe haven and took upon himself to finish us for good. Somehow despite being a fully trained police officer, the bastard got the jump on my dad and took him out first. My mum tried to do whatever she could to purchase our escape during that confrontation, but due to illegal anti-portkey and apparition charms, was unable to get very far, so she kissed her infant son on the forehead and after a loud crash followed by sounds of footsteps coming up the stairs and down the hall to my room, the door blasted inward. Despite the maniac having dispatched her husband and lover not but moments prior, my mum stood confidently before her opponent and despite orders for her to stand aside, she kept herself bodily between me and him. He finally eradicated her, and then came for me. That act of love and sacrifice apparently granted me protection from the man responsible, so when he sent a curse so vile that casting it was an automatic death sentence upon apprehension, a curse which he undoubtedly cast a myriad of occasions prior, he turned to leave, believing his handiwork accomplished, only to have the bloody thing rebound and destroy him instead of me. Next thing I know, Bob's your uncle and here I was, forced to live with virtual strangers who never wanted me and denigrated me to the role of a slave, never even caring enough to explain why. How could you? If the reverse had happened and Dudley had been orphaned and sent to my mum, I fairly certain he never would have been treated anywhere close to how I have been by you! In fact, mum probably would have flayed and castrated anyone who even thought of intending him harm, just like she would have done for me. Why do you hate me so? What did I ever do to you, besides be born and forced to live with you by circumstances so far beyond my control?" Harry uttered the last question in an almost breathless whisper, again centering himself mentally before awaiting a response.

Petunia listened to the boy describe his family's and his situation leading to his inevitable appearance on her doorstep and she felt ashamed. She never actively abused the boy, unlike her husband and son, but she never did much to stop them either. He was right, by George! What kind of mother was she to allow an innocent child to be exposed to such cruelty and simply stand by, occasionally even mocking the boy as he silently cried in response to the beatings and the bullying? Petunia began to visibly pale and shake as silent sobs racked her body, guilt washing over her like a stink in the air. She sniffed as she answered, "Oh Harry, how could I have been so wrong? I let my jealousy of my sister and my fear of rejection by Vernon cloud my better judgement. I knew what we were doing was wrong, yet I did nothing to dissuade it, even at times relishing in the hope that you would never see that world. Vernon seemed to think that if we were harsh enough that we could scare and or beat the magic out of you and save you from being what he deemed "another freak." I admit to going along with the plan, but after the first time he took it too far, I should have done something about it! I know it may not mean much but I am so sorry, Harry! Can you please forgive me? I really would like to find a way to make it up somehow, if at all possible. I promise to do everything I can to protect you and show you that despite my abysmal behavior to date, that I deep down inside did want to love you, and maybe someday, you and I can at least have some kind of relationship?"

Harry was not expecting his aunt's heartfelt confession, and despite everything found himself inclined to grant her the forgiveness, a small part of him long-since forgotten clinging to the childhood desire for love and affection from his family. Harry choked down his emotions and clamped down on his barriers to keep himself in control, his eye on the snitch, as it were. He replied, "Aunt Petunia, I do not know how to respond other than to tell you that I will time to process your request and promise to consider it in light of our little chat today, but I cannot honestly give you an answer now, because of the very nature of my experience under your care so far." He paused and looked around before seeing the barely awakened form of his corpulent uncle lumbering downstairs in his usual pre-breakfast haze. He almost smirked as he saw the man enter the kitchen and do a double-take as he finally noticed the lack of activity, and the absence of his usual spread. "BOY! WHERE IN THE DEVIL IS MY BLOODY BREAKFAST AND WHY IS THERE NO PAPER? YOU BETTER START PRAYING TO WHOMEVER WILL LISTEN AND BE THANKFUL I HAVE TO DROP YOU AT THE TRAIN STATION OR I WOULD GLADLY TAKE THE DAY OFF TO REMIND YOU OF YOUR DUTIES!" Vernon had turned an interesting shade of purple and the vein in his forehead had begun to pulse as spittle flew from the corners of his mouth whilst he shouted.

Harry found the scene so comical that he could not hold back the laughter he felt in response to his uncle's antics. Vernon, upon hearing Harry openly guffaw at his diatribe, stormed into the sitting room, charging at Harry like a bull, seemingly intent on shaking the humor from his young nephew. Harry simply waved his hand, much as he had with his aunt earlier and Vernon was sent flying, impacting the wall on the other side of the room with enough force to both crack the drywall and shake loose a few pictures and artwork, sending them, along with himself crashing to the ground with a loud crash, followed by groans of pain.

Harry bitterly laughed before he addressed the walrus in a bathrobe. "Uncle Vernon, I believe you are under the mistaken impression that I intend to allow you to treat me the same way you have always done, but I have a new bulletin for you: Harry Potter is done taking shite from the likes of you! You are a pathetic waste of flesh, with a small mind and probably an even smaller penis! I already discussed things with your lovely wife here earlier and have decided…NO MORE! You want to try to hurt me, I will rebuff you in increasingly embarrassing and painful methods until we can agree on the correct way to treat your wife's nephew for the short duration I will remain underneath this roof. If you insist upon resisting the changes around here, I can assure you the pain you will suffer will be of your own architecture and design. You have been warned. Unlike your wife, we share absolutely no bond, you and I. I feel no obligation to include you in my life any further than today than I absolutely must, and I do not like you any more than you seem to care for me. Having said as such, whilst I am residing here, three things will happen moving forward or you will not like the consequences.

First, you will never again be allowed to place your hands upon me or use another object you happen to be holding to inflict damage. Should you fail to refrain from doing so, you will find your actions met with an equal if not greater opposing force.

Second, chores will be evenly distributed in the future. I will do my part as it is only fair and I happen to enjoy cooking and gardening, so I will continue to take responsibility for those tasks and those tasks alone. No more ever-growing lists of chores. You want something aside from those two tasks completed, I expect the task to be a request and reserve the right to decline participation without fear of reprimand.

Finally, I will not be neglected anymore. If I achieve success academically then I achieve success. I will receive three meals a day, same as the rest of you. I will receive new clothing that fits and expect presents on special occasions, such as Christmas or birthdays. If Dudley and his friends try to hurt me and I fight back, I will not be punished unless I cause more severe injury without provocation.

In exchange, I will avoid the use, mention or invitation of others to do so whilst under this roof, unless an emergency comes, such as a surprise visit or attack by Death Eaters. Are we clear? I can assure you, should you not comply, you will find the alternative to be very…unpleasant and unfortunate for you."

Vernon had been bound in place, much as his wife during the freak's ultimatums. He struggled mightily against the invisible restraint, but found his efforts to be to no avail. He listened to the last of the freak's demands before responding, "Fine! No more beatings and such, as long as you keep up your end. You don't like my terms, then there is the door. You will not be welcome under my roof if you cannot be normal and behave! No silly hocus pocus! I won't have it!"

Harry grinned and waved his hand again, the large man's pain going away as he was righted to his feet by an unknown force. The boy smiled and responded, "See now? That wasn't so difficult now was it? I think this chat went rather well. I apologize in advance, however as I fear Dudley may have a much harder go of it learning the new lay of the land as it were. His lessons may include some rather painful and humiliating circumstances before he learns to leave me be, and encourage his friends to follow suit."

Vernon turned a tad red as he visibly strained to bite back his natural response, "Well, we'll just have to have a nice long chat, he and I now won't we?" He said the last with a fake smile, one he usually reserved for people he was trying to brown-nose for his own personal gain.

Harry sighed under his breath as he answered, "Please do, because my discussions with him may end with him experiencing any number of excruciatingly traumatic and painful experiences, and I would rather avoid that sort of unpleasantness if at all possible."

Without another word, Harry turned and walked to the kitchen, preparing a much lighter breakfast than usual, a radio humming in the background as he danced about cooking waffles, bacon and sliced fruit, with fresh squeezed orange juice. He then created a small portion of an egg scramble with light cheese and onions and plated the meal before his uncle who looked like he was about to complain before simply tucking in and despite his best efforts to look angry, rather enjoyed the meal. Upon finishing the meal, Vernon rose and went upstairs to get ready for the commute to London.

Harry was rather pleased himself. He couldn't wait for the next phase in his plan. He was for the first time in nearly three centuries going to do something he had not done. Harry Potter was coming to Hogwarts, and the world would never be the same!


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I wish I owned more than the computer on which I am using, but I don't. Harry Potter belongs to JKR and the respective media houses.**

 _ **Previously:**_

 _Without another word, Harry turned and walked to the kitchen, preparing a much lighter breakfast than usual, a radio humming in the background as he danced about cooking waffles, bacon and sliced fruit, with fresh squeezed orange juice. He then created a small portion of an egg scramble with light cheese and onions and plated the meal before his uncle who looked like he was about to complain before simply tucking in and despite his best efforts to look angry, rather enjoyed the meal. Upon finishing the meal, Vernon rose and went upstairs to get ready for the commute to London._

 _Harry was rather pleased himself. He couldn't wait for the next phase in his plan. He was for the first time in nearly three centuries going to do something he had not done. Harry Potter was coming to Hogwarts, and the world would never be the same!_

The commute to London was riddled with tension so thick one could almost see it. Vernon kept the radio tuned to some conservative talk show, the host spouting off about how foreigners and duffers were a bane to society. Vernon occasionally nodded his head and mumbled, "Too bloody right!" and other comments which seemed to reveal to Harry what his uncle's true political leanings were. His uncle was a narrow-minded bigot, trying to hide behind a middle-class working man's life. Not too much of a shock to Harry who had the experience of sixteen years of dealing with the fat bastard. Harry after a few moments, began to filter out his uncle and focus on preparing for the tasks ahead.

Harry withdrew into his mindscape but used a technique he learned from the Shimbala Masters to keep a background awareness of his physical surroundings. He retreated into his inner sanctum and began to filter his memories, searching for faces and names of various students and faculty at Hogwarts which would be good candidates for his new plan. He would forge a group dedicated to defending the innocent and destroying those who would wreak havoc upon the world. Harry put together a list of talents, political affiliations of both the individuals and their traditional family histories and then compiled a list of priorities. He found his group needed three types of specialists: combat, support and financing/political backing.

The first category was to be people with natural talents which made them well-suited for combat or a desire to learn and demonstrate skills which would make them effective soldiers. These skills ranged from offensive and/or defensive abilities to unique traits such as animagus and metamorphing abilities. He also knew to keep his eyes open for signs of people who may have become more had they just had the proper support and motivation.

The second category included people who were skilled at theoretical research, historical artifacts, potion brewing, alchemy, seers, rituals, enchanting, runes and curse breaking/warding. Support members provide those in command and on the front line with supplies, intel, spells and tactics to better prepare them for combat and provide means to minimize friendly casualties whilst maximizing combat effectiveness.

The third category included those with wealth, political clout and knowledge that help make the organization able to operate, avoid legal issues and maintain popular support. These particular members rarely actively involved themselves in the combat side of things, but acted as the backers and public face of the organization, controlling information to maximize political capital. True, the Potters, Blacks and the other ancient lines to which he was entitled were extremely wealthy in liquid assets, but to achieve Harry's end-game would have bankrupted him in less than five years. He needed fresh capital and political support to make it all work.

It occurred to him that the vast majority of Slytherin already had family ties to Baldymort, so he decided the first step in securing members for category 3 membership would be to politically neutralize elitists such as Malfoy Sr, Parkinson, Nott and Avery. The current obstacle to that part of the plan would be the risk of alienating his fellow generation by potentially ruining their families' incomes and political prowess. In doing so, he would lose most of the strongest sources for the needed funding, so naturally the only other way to achieve his goals would be to change the playing field and bring in a few new players, thus shifting the political balance of power in his favor without necessarily having it all blow back to his doorstep.

The solution was obvious: free Sirius Black. Freeing Sirius and getting him exonerated would give Harry plausible deniability as Sirius was his godfather and had the legal right to sit in proxy of Harry's seats on the Wizengamot. By wresting the Black seats and Potter seats from the elitists and the conservative light, Sirius could use his family reputation and political clout to gain access to the ears of families that would have simply laughed in Harry's face should he have tried approaching them on his own merit. Sirius Black was a loose cannon, but he would never allow someone to catch him unaware- he was the quintessential pureblood scion, though his outlook had severely darkened thanks to the combination of his current accommodations, the lack of support from those with whom he had entrusted his life, and most likely the news of what had happened to his godson since Sirius' untimely incarceration.

Freeing Sirius Black became his number one priority, followed closely by establishing friendships and alliances with key people and then cultivating those relationships until he could reveal the first stages of his master plan. Harry was almost giddy at the thought of what he would accomplish if all went according to his plans. He still had to locate the three artifacts Heather had sent back with him, but Harry had decided to pursue that part of his quest during the summer months or winter breaks leading to his fourth year. His reasons for delaying his pursuit of the artifacts were lack of intel, resources and freedom. He would first need to gain access to historical documents and accounts in order to divine the clues that would lead him to any of the items. He would then need to outfit a mission to uncover the artifacts. Doing so would require both time and freedom of movement, thus until Sirius was freed, he could not begin the quest. At the very least he needed to have the Ambrosia Potion and the scroll before the events of the graveyard would come to pass, so Harry put those items at the top of the list of things to be accomplished, right underneath freeing Sirius and establishing beneficial alliances and friendships.

Whilst pondering all of this, he noticed a piece of parchment appeared in his mindscape, floating to his desk whilst offering a golden nimbus, lending an almost ethereal glow to the study. He took a look and noticed it held a message from Heather followed by a list of names.

 _Mr. Harry James Potter:_

 _Hey there! Just updating your list of potential allies to include a few key names you may have not considered. It is imperative that you include these people as their input and abilities are crucial to your success. We are rooting for you! By the way, freeing Sirius Black as soon as possible is a must! If you are unable to do so before the Christmas break, then your odds of success are severely going to be hampered. I sent the artifacts with you, but they did not necessarily return to the same point in the time stream as your consciousness has, obviously as you seem to be aware. The mechanics behind the why and how are beyond my comprehension, but suffice it to say that not only were the items hurdled through time, but they arrived in geographically different zones._

 _I can say that somehow, each item is hidden by different means, and no two are in the same zone. The zones, if you are unfamiliar with the terminology, are geographical locations divided by major leylines. Each zone is magically independent of the others and different laws of magic rule. In order to uncover the artifacts, you will need to master the predominant magical practices of each zone. For example, you live in the European/Upper Mediterranean Zone. The predominant magical form is that of wandcraft. Practitioners of this discipline are called wizards, witches and mages, who manipulate both internal and external magical energy by means of a primary focus or wand to achieve certain acts of power._

 _Another example is the Pacific Rim/Asian Zone. This zone consists of the Asian continent, and Pacific Islands. The predominant magical practice is that of the Divine. The practioners are known as monks and priestess/shrine maidens. Magic is gifted to these practitioners through prayers and rigid self-discipline, with various branches and sub-branches attuned to a particular affinity to a spirit or deity._

 _The next example is the PanAmerican Zone, which consists of Africa, North, South and Central Americas, the Caribbean Islands and Antarctica. The predominant magical form in this realm is known as shamanism, and its magic is mainly elemental and spiritual in nature. Each practitioner must attune himself/herself to a spirit guide, and a symbiotic relationship allows the practitioner to develop a personalized magical repertoire of abilities and knowledge that best suits the user's magical identity. No two practitioners are the same, and no two users achieve the same results using the same methods._

 _The last example is that of the Australian Zone. Although smaller in size than the other zones, this zone is the most significant one. The Australian zone is actually the origin of magic itself. All major leylines eventually cross through the zone. The predominant form in this zone is that of mysticism. Practitioners are called mystics or witch-doctors. These users channel magical energy through combining essences of natural ingredients and channeling the spirits of "Guardians" through music and complex rituals. Though similar to the shaman or druidic practices of Ancient Briton, the Americas or darkest Africa, the mystics use their affinity to nature in order to guide their peoples through the world of man and create balance between the forces of light and dark, whilst the witch-doctors delve more into the base nature of all and attempt to gain power by siphoning the magical essence from the minds, souls and spirits of the people. They tend to become involved in necromancy and dark rituals. Witch-doctors have been some of the worst dark lords in history, and even Merlin himself almost succumbed to the darkness which those vile beings wield amongst themselves._

 _Yes, Merlin Emrys traveled the world and amassed himself a compendium of knowledge and abilities that superseded the limits of the zones. He was able to combine the various branches of magic and elevated himself to a level most mortals could never hope to achieve. He also used his abilities to eventually shift the leylines into forming a third nexus point which has since been labeled as Stonehenge. This location actually serves as an astrological gateway into the Underhill, which under certain conditions was rumored to allow Merlin access to the mystical realms of Avalon and even Atlantis._

 _No, I am uncertain how the gate works and I have no idea where to begin looking for the knowledge, however, I am certain that to truly obtain your goals, you must find these realms and accomplish whatever awaits you there. I cannot tell you the locations of the artifacts directly as to do so would free other agents to reveal certain truths to the wrong parties, the results of which could have devastating consequences for not only this world and reality, but countless others. However, I can give you one small hint. You must seek aid from those that dwell in fire and air, they that treasure the heart. From them, you should be able to locate the Darkslayer. But before the Darkslayer can be reclaimed, one must pass the challenges three: The Trials of Courage, Spirit and Strength. The Trials will reveal more clues to the next location. Be strong Advocate of Light, for should the walkers of the Dark Path uncover your goals, then you will then be forced to recover the remaining artifacts while competing against those that could ruin it all. The first item of lore is in your own zone. You must seek the walkers of the night and gain their trust. From there, the path to greatness will be revealed._

 _Best Wishes,_

 _Heather and the Next Adventure Team_

 _List of potential allies:_

 _House Granger, Longbottom, Malfoy, Greengrass, Zabini, Davis, Bones, Abbot, Diggory, Weasley, Finch-Fetchley, Patil, Lovegood, Brown, Goldstein, Boot, Finnegan, Thomas, Bulstrode, Parkinson, Nott, Delacour, Krum, Li, Vane, Spinnet, Bell, Johnson, Wood, Black, Tonks, Lupin,_

After reading and digesting the information, most of which he had been aware due to his own travels, Harry noticed the scenery had gone from suburban, to urban. He exited his mindscape just in time for his fat fuck of an uncle to grunt and growl out, "Well boy? I don't have all day! Get the hell out of the bloody car, get your things out of the boot and get yourself off to your freak school where you belong! Some of us normal folk have jobs to get to, you know?"

Harry grimaced at his uncle's use of the term "freak" and looked at the man with a raised brow, "Well, I would take the time to remind you of your 'lesson' this morning, but frankly, Uncle Vernon, I have things of greater import to accomplish today. Remember, I doubt I will be coming back for the Christmas Holidays, but unfortunately I have no place else to go, so I will be returning for the summer, unless something changes. I will find a way to let you know if you are not needed to pick me up from the station by then. Goodbye." With the last he closed the door and discretely shrunk his things with a wave of his hand before applying a featherweight charm and putting them into his knapsack. He then opened the rear door and grabbed Hedwig's cage, before turning and walking away from the vehicle, leaving his uncle to close the boot himself.

He took a deep breath before making his way to the Platform 9 ¾, where he simply walked right through the barrier and onto the loading platform. There in all its glory stood the Hogwarts Express. It's bright red exterior shrouded in steam as the engine idled. He saw wizards and witches of various stations in life bidding their children farewell and wishing them a good term. He was bubbling with excitement as he quickly entered the passenger cars and found an empty compartment near the rear of the train. He inspected the compartment for signs of any concealed enemies or surveillance, and was pleased to find signs of neither, thus he entered and took a seat next to the window. He let his thoughts drift back to Heather's note, and its implications. He decided he would find a way to befriend Malfoy without alienating the others, thus using Malfoy's influence to gain access to the Slytherin faction of his list. He was uncertain how to approach the foreigners, but figured if he could use Malfoy's connections to gain an introduction, then rejecting the blonde ponce in public like last time would not be a good idea. Since Gryffindor and Slytherin had a rivalry of sorts going strong at Hogwarts, Harry also was at a loss as to how to allow himself to be sorted. Gryffindor would be an easy way to gather allies from the majority of his list, but would alienate him from the Slytherins, perhaps permanently and the reverse would hold true for Sytherin. Ravenclaw was not his cup of tea, and the Hufflepuffs had been too sheepish.

Suddenly, he was jolted from his internal musings by the sound of his perimeter wards alerting him to company outside his compartment door. He waved a hand to cancel the alarm and unseal the door whilst calling out, "Come in!" The door opened and two young witches peered into his compartment. One of them had an almost regal expression on her delicate features. Her flaxen blonde hair cascaded to her shoulders in loose waves, a complicated braid holding her hair back from her face on one side whilst the other was tucked lightly behind her ear. Her complexion was flawless, her alabaster skin appeared so smooth that Harry was tempted to reach out and stroke it out of curiosity, but he quickly abandoned the notion as untoward. She had piercing deep blue eyes that shouted a keen intellect. She locked eyes with Harry, and he heard her breath catch for a moment as she seemed to be shocked by whatever it was she discerned from her gaze, before quickly recovering and hiding behind her previous mask of aristocratic authority.

The other was about four inches shorter than her companion and was no less attractive. She had a more strawberry blonde hair color with her hair pulled back in a delicate updo, held in place by a dragonfly hairpin with emeralds for eyes, set in silver. She had a friendly smile and seemed to be almost amused at the moment. Her skin was lightly tanned, with a hint of freckles across her nose and cheeks, pink full lips and soft hazel eyes. She was the first to speak of the pair and after clearing her throat slightly she began, "Hello there! I am Tracy Davis of the house of Davis and this is my best friend Daphne Anastasia Greengrass, heiress to the House of Greengrass. We have been looking for Harry James Potter, heir to the House of Potter. We tried owling him throughout the last few years, but to no avail. Our houses were traditionally aligned as the Potters provided military protection for our business ventures. The House Greengrass are merchants who trade and import rare potions ingredients, while the House Davis dealt primarily in political affairs. Although in recent years, House Greengrass has become a political force unto its own, while the House Davis has been pursuing theoretical charms and enchanting. We founded the Firebolt Broom Company, and in the next few years hope to outshine Nimbus and Comet, as the Firebolt finally received its endorsement in the Department of Magical Sports to begin production for professional and recreational development." She paused as she noticed that Daphne had entered the compartment and sat on the seat across from Harry. Daphne spoke quietly, "Tracy, I don't think it wise to air House business in the hallway, so get in here and close the door. I'm certain our new companion finds your chittering fascinating, as do I, but it seems that young Mister…I beg his pardon, but you never even paused long enough for him to introduce himself to us properly."

Harry smirked, amusement twinkling in his emerald orbs as he chuckled to himself as he observed the two young witches interacting before him. He spoke, "It is completely fine with me, Heiress Greengrass, I found her conversation quite informative. I do agree that she should better practice discretion in the future when discussing topics of such a sensitive nature, but as most of the information is available in the Ministry Archives, I am not offended. Please allow me to apologize for not having done so earlier, but as you had pointed out, I did not exactly get the opportunity as of yet. I am Lord Harry James Potter, the Potter of House Potter." He said the last with a properly executed bow and then took each of the two young witches dominant hand in turn and placed a gentle kiss to the middle knuckle whilst giving the palm a delicate sweep of his thumb.

Daphne blushed as his lips made contact with her flesh and then almost felt herself sadden when he gently released her hand. Harry followed suit and repeated the same gesture to Tracy and then bade the ladies to sit before returning to his own seat. He smiled warmly at the two witches as he carefully chose his next words, "Ladies, I apologize for my ignorance in returning your missives, but I was raised in the muggle world by my mother's sister and her family, so until my Hogwarts letter arrived, I had no clue that magic existed, much less that I was some kind of wizard and there were others like me out here. I would like for each of you to please send missives to your parents extending my sincerest apologies for not having contacted them sooner about renewing and continuing our alliances, but I am extremely interested in doing so, moving forward. I wish to elevate the House of Potter and return the glory of its once proud name to new heights, so such an alliance would be beneficial to my house and my progeny."

Tracy giggled and responded, "Potter, may we call you Harry?" Harry nodded in acquiescence, "Harry, there is no need to keep everything so formal. I think we can be really good friends apart from being political allies. So you can call me Tracy, alright? Anyways, you really were raised as a muggle? What was it like? Do they really have eleksitry instead of magic? Did they really send a person to the moon?"

Harry chuckled at his new friend's antics as he responded, "Slow down a bit Tracy. I can tell you must have a very inquisitive mind."

Daphne rolled her eyes and snorted, "You have _no_ idea! Tracy could probably outtalk Minister Fudge, and you may call me Daphne as well, Harry."

Harry smiled as he responded, "Thanks Daphne! I can tell. In answer to your questions, yes, I was raised as a muggle. Yes, they do have _electricity_ rather than magic, and although it does power a vast majority of their technology, it is not the only thing they use, as opposed to magic, which is only limited by the imagination of the casting party. Yes, they did send a group of people in specially designed suits and gear to the moon. It was the Yanks who did it, partially to prove themselves superior to the Russians, but mainly as major stepping stone in human development. They left an American flag on the surface to prove they were there. I believe the bloke was named Armstrong, Neil Armstrong.

So the teens sat in the compartment discussing various technologies and magical counterparts when the train whistled the ten-minute warning. Daphne, who seemed to warm up to Harry the more she interacted with him, began to ponder how to broach the next part of her reasons for seeking out the young Potter. Her family had been trying to avoid betrothing her to such families as the Malfoys or the Notts, but with very few male heirs within the alliance, and Harry Potter being hidden away, her father gave her until the end of her third year before he would have to open negotiations despite his own personal reservations. In pureblood society, an unattached witch was open game at the age of fifteen. That meant any male heir of the same age or greater from a suitable lineage could politically pressure her father into bartering his daughter against the survival of his business interests. Daphne had no desire to wed some old creepy bastard just to keep her family's business empire afloat. The Malfoys in particular had begun purchasing various interests in creditors, many of whom House Greengrass had been forced to do business since the disappearance of House Potter.

She, like many other witches in England had grown up hearing and reading tales of the adventures of Harry Potter, and the pictures on the cover depicted the young wizard as a dashingly handsome figure, but the pictures did not do justice to reality. He was rather fetching, with deep emerald eyes and raven dark hair, looking as if he had just leapt from a broom during a quidditch match or something. He was tall for his age at five and a half feet in height and his build had just the right amount of muscle to it to give him a rather delectable appearance.

Overall, he was rather dishy. He seemed to be a friendly easy-going sort, which made him even more desirable to her. He could joke with the best, yet he never tried to do so at another's expense, or so her instincts told her since she had yet to see him interact with anyone besides herself and Tracy. She had already decided that she would stake claim early and after getting to know him better, she would make her move and secure her position at his side. To use a saying she had overheard Mrs. Davis use while having one of her hen sessions with her mother, Daphne felt certain she would not kick Harry out of bed for eating crackers. If his personality was anything as good as his looks, she would be a lucky witch indeed. Boys were slower to develop than girls, so she didn't feel the need to bother his fragile mind with trivial details like whether or not he had similar designs for her. Like any other man, as the woman she would simply stake her claim and then with the right amount of tweaking, he would never question her judgement and fall in line. With any amount of skill, he would probably think the whole arrangement was his own idea in the first place.

Again the whistle sounded and the train began to slowly accelerate out of the station. Daphne took the pause in conversation to stand and "look" for something in her baggage. Harry immediately stood and with a grin offered, "Dearest Daphne, let me get that for you." He waved a hand and her bag levitated from the overhead baggage shelving and to the floor at her feet. Amazed at his seemingly nonchalant use of wandless magic, Tracy sat frozen in place gawking at their companion as Daphne fought the blush rising in her cheeks from his use of her name with the adornment of "dearest." Tracy noticed the exchange and noted the reaction in her life-long friend, filing the material away for a conversation to be held in private later that night.

After locating her "lost" item, a book on basic charms theory, Daphne closed her bag and with another wave of his hand, Harry sent the bag back to its place amongst the others. "Thank you, Harry. I must admit I am rather unused to having a gentleman such as yourself around. It does make things rather more pleasant, I should think." Harry blushed at her compliment and responded, "Ah, well a lady such as yourself and your companion should treat a gentleman like an American Express Card, a muggle credit card- Never leave home without one." Daphne had subtly taken the opportunity to position herself in the seat next to the young wizard- a fact not unnoticed by her companion, again filed away for future conversation.

Harry explained as he noticed the blank looks on the witches faces, "That's their slogan, Daphne. A credit card is a muggle banking invention that allows a person to make purchases recorded by the card number and account holder's name without having to carry around large sums. The bank gives the account holder a line of credit based on his or her history of financial responsibility, income and job stability. The card holder uses the card to make purchases within the limit of the credit line and then simply repays the bank on a monthly basis. Each transaction is assessed a similarly derived interest rate which is added to the account balance. The goal of the card holder is to clear the balance each month, and doing so he or she avoids the interest payments, but should the account holder need time to repay the balance, a minimum payment amount can be made and the account stays active and is reported in good standing. The best part of the credit card is that if the card is lost or stolen, you just call the bank and report it and they refuse further purchases on the account until a new card can be issued, or the culprit found and legally prosecuted. There are three major companies accepted internationally, Master Card, Visa and American Express or AMEX as they are known. But I digress. My apologies if my own brand of humor fell a bit flat, but I am unused to an audience that does not understand or grasp certain references that are deemed a part of popular culture in the muggle world, therefore most jokes that reference them assume the audience is familiar with the same references. I am sure there are many concepts and euphemisms from the magical realm that you could use around me and I would be just as lost as you both seemed to be."

Daphne giggled a bit and play swatted him on the shoulder, "It's okay, Harry. I haven't really had much exposure to the muggle world before today, so I promise I won't be offended if you take the time to explain something to me. We can always make a pact to help each other out. I can help you better grasp our world, and you can help me better understand muggles. Does that sound good to you?"

Tracy almost lost it, seeing Daphne actually trying to flirt with a boy had to definitely be a sign of the apocalypse! She noticed how Daphne had inched closer to the boy as the conversation progressed. She was staking a claim! Tracy thought Harry was definitely future boyfriend material, and she had seen him first, but her heart was torn between allowing her friend a chance, since Daphne had never gone for a guy like this before, and putting her own claim down. Tracy decided to reserve her decision until after the upcoming discussion later in the evening.

Harry found himself having to internally groan at the obvious machinations of a twelve-year-old witch, but he knew she would be one of the fittest birds in the school one day, and she seemed to have a rather decent personality to go with it. He wondered what could have possibly happened last time around for her to get the reputation and title of Ice Queen of Slytherin. He could tell right away that both of the young witches were into him and given a bit more time, either one would make him a very happy wizard as his girlfriend, but he had no desire to drive a wedge in their friendship. That decided, he decided to be friendly and flirty with any of his witch friends equally, that way he could avoid hurting any of them by excluding any of them from his attentions. Eventually he would most likely have to choose, but he was enjoying being a pre-hormonal boy and chose to be friends with as many of them as he could. A part of him wondered if they would mind sharing, but he quickly discarded that line of thought and focused on cementing the friendships he had already begun. There would be plenty of time to explore romantic possibilities as they got older.

Needless to say, the trio were rather enjoying their time together and as time progressed, he found himself firmly sandwiched between the two fetching young witches, who were both hanging off of his every word. Occasionally they could hear the noise of other students running and laughing merrily in the corridor outside the door, but no one had yet to disturb their dynamic. Suddenly, they heard shouts as door after door was opened and closed, the disturbance getting closer and closer until the door to their compartment opened and to Harry, a familiar head of brown bushy hair and overbite ducked her head inside, "Hi, sorry to disturb you, but…" The young witch stopped as if someone had hit her with a silencing jinx. She began to blush furiously as she took in the sight before her. Hermione Granger had never been one to go "boy-crazy" or even shown the slightest interest in a boy before that moment when she happened to spy arguably the most delectable, handsome boy she had ever seen outside of magazines and movie screens. His eyes were so verdantly green that they almost seemed to shine with an emerald glow, his masculine jawline and wind-swept raven black hair seemed to beg her fingers to run themselves through it to feel its softness. She felt her breathing go shallow and her heart race in time with the butterflies that stirred deep in the pit of her stomach. Her hyperactive and well-developed mind processed the data and relayed to her that she was definitely experiencing the signs of a first crush. Then she noticed his proximity to the two other witches in his company and damned if she didn't want to be one of them right in that moment. The whole realization dawned upon her that they were waiting for her to continue. She quickly calmed her mind and with a light cough to clear the tightness in her throat she took a deep breath and began again, "Sorry, I must have had something trigger an allergy. My name is Hermione Granger. I am a muggleborn witch. My parents are Peers of the Realm, so this whole magical world thing has them completely thrown for a loop. Anyhow, I am trying to help a boy named Neville Longbottom find his lost toad. Have any of you seen it?"

Harry noticed the icy demeanor that took over Daphne as she responded, "Well, Miss…Granger was it? We have been in this compartment since well before the train departed the station, and as I am familiar with Heir Longbottom due to how close his gram is with my family, I can say I did not see him prior to our arrival. Lord Potter was here before us, but I am fairly certain there was no toad or other animal in this compartment, nor have we had the door open long enough to allow one entry. Do be a dear and close the door on your way out, as we were in the midst of a fairly private conversation, would you?"

Harry again groaned internally as he would have to diffuse the quickly escalating situation before things got completely out of hand. Harry simply acted as if he was stretching before standing and turning to his two companions, "Miss Greengrass, Miss Davis, it is perfectly acceptable and a noble pursuit for Miss Granger here to help a fellow student in need. True, we were having a private conversation, but nothing that would be so pressing as to keep me from lending my aid to her endeavors. I apologize, Miss Granger, I have been remiss. I am Lord Harry James Potter of the House of Potter, and my two lovely companions are Heiress Daphne Anastasia Greengrass of House Greengrass and Heiress Tracy Davis of House Davis. It is pleasing to make your acquaintance." With the last statement he formally bowed, and Hermione curtsied in response. He then took her dominant hand and lightly kissed the middle knuckle. Hermione blushed almost a tomato red as he lightly swept his thumb over her palm before releasing her hand. Hermione's chocolate brown eyes met his emerald green ones and for a moment she was tempted to through caution to the wind and snog him senseless in front of the stuck-up princess who seemed to be trying to stake her claim on the young wizard. It would certainly serve her right!

Hermione after a brief moment of insanity, carefully regained rational thought. She responded, "Well, thank you Lord Potter. I see good breeding and manners are not wasted upon some of us after all. I would kindly take you up on your gracious offer to assist me in my quest to locate and recover Trevor, Heir Longbottom's toad. With two of us working together, hopefully we will find it post haste."

Harry simply grinned and with a silent summoning charm, produced the toad in question. Harry then conjured a small cage and lowered the startled animal inside before closing the latch and bolting it shut. "There you go, milady. One Trevor the Toad, found and delivered as promised. I never fail to deliver on my promises, especially ones made to such beautiful damsels as yourself." He handed the enclosure to the young witch, who again was nearly crimson in color at the compliment Harry had just delivered. "I suggest you return the animal to Heir Longbottom and then if you wish, you are more than welcome to join us. By the way, you may call me Harry, and I hope to have the pleasure of calling you Hermione?"

Hermione nodded with a huge grin that threatened to split her face, "Of course, Harry! I will be right back! Thank you for the invitation! I have so many questions that I hope you might answer for me!"

With that the witch spun about and raced down the corridor at a near break-neck speed. Harry simply chuckled to himself as he had nearly forgotten how excitable a young Hermione Granger had been. He returned to the compartment and found himself alone with two rather unhappy witches on his hands. "So ladies, I apologize for the interruption there, but I just couldn't let the poor witch keep blindly wandering the corridor like that. I summoned the toad for her and then urged her to return it to Heir Longbottom. I invited her to join us as well, because I noticed she seemed rather lonely to devote her time to looking for a lost animal the size of a toad whilst upon a train full of people. I hope you two don't mind."

Daphne crossed her arms petulantly and responded, "Of course, Harry. I am sorry if I seemed so cross, but I was rather enjoying our conversation and I didn't care for the way she was looking at you like you were some kind of coming of Merlin, especially once you introduced yourself. You may be famous in our world, but you are a person too, and people need to understand that."

Tracy nodded in agreement, "Harry, I'm sure she might be really nice once we get know her, but I saw it too. Daphne is only trying to look out for you. You don't need to surround yourself with people who can't see you as a person or desire your company to sponge off of your fame."

Harry simply sat back down between the two witches and ran his fingers through his hair, "Look, I appreciate your concerns and all, but I am certain that Hermione is a good person and is not out to latch on to me for my fame. I have an innate sense of people's intentions. I did not get a bad feeling from her so I am inclined to trust my instincts. Now she will be here soon, and I expect you two to at least try to give her a chance. I have a feeling that despite her station or maybe even because of it, she probably has trouble making friends. I think if we give her a chance, she will surprise you and far exceed my expectations."

Hermione was elated as she took the cage with Trevor back to her shy and nervous companion. True, Neville hadn't exactly told her she could join him, but he hadn't told her to leave, unlike some of the others whom she had tried to befriend before happening upon the pudgy boy. She smiled broadly as she presented the cage to him, "Here Neville, I found Harry Potter's compartment and he helped me by summoning Trevor and conjuring this cage for him. He did it all without a wand too! He was so nice to me! He even invited us to join him, so grab your stuff and let's go! We mustn't keep him waiting!" Before Neville could object or offer anything otherwise, Hermione had grabbed her things and tossed him his in the process. He tried to keep up with the energetic young witch, but found himself wheezing and sweating from the exertion as he slowly fell further behind her. He saw her stop, turning around with her foot stomping, "Oh for goodness sake, Neville! Do hurry! It's not much further!"

After three more cars, he noticed that Hermione had stopped outside a door near the very rear of the train. He saw her pause as if nervous before she knocked and entered. He trudged along and tentatively peered inside. Inside he saw a tall athletic and rather good-looking young wizard flanked by none other than Daphne Greengrass and Tracy Davis. At least he was on somewhat friendly terms with the two witches, so he felt a little less anxious about meeting Harry Potter and having to face a few others whilst doing so.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I wish I owned more than the computer on which I am using, but I don't. Harry Potter belongs to JKR and the respective media houses.**

 **AN: So now we have met a few of the** _ **Dramatis Personae**_ **and the Sorting, Welcoming Feast and getting settled will occupy most of the chapter. After that…well you'll see!**

 _ **Previously:**_

 _After three more cars, he noticed that Hermione had stopped outside a door near the very rear of the train. He saw her pause as if nervous before she knocked and entered. He trudged along and tentatively peered inside. Inside he saw a tall athletic and rather good-looking young wizard flanked by none other than Daphne Greengrass and Tracy Davis. At least he was on somewhat friendly terms with the two witches, so he felt a little less anxious about meeting Harry Potter and having to face a few others whilst doing so. Dialing up his inner courage, Neville Francis Longbottom, Heir of the House of Longbottom, with a sheepish grin and a slight flush to his complexion, overcame his mild social anxieties and introduced himself to the first of those whom he hoped would be many of young wizards and witches to become his friend, something the poor boy was desperately in short supply. Thus the journey to his Hogwarts career had finally begun!_

Harry found himself rather liking getting to know the young Longbottom heir. He was rather knowledgeable about many subjects and helped clarify certain principles that Daphne had been unable to explain or had not bothered to emphasize the same points when addressing the same subject. Hermione added a fresh perspective and her keen analytical mind began making itself known. Harry of course had to diffuse a few heated discussions between the witches, but all in all the rest of the trip saw the five of them excitedly discussing how they hoped the next term would pass. They discussed what spells they had attempted and Harry even conducted an impromptu occlumency session, as Hermione was naturally unaware of wizards having the ability to enter another's mind and was revolted by the thought of being violated in such a private manner. Harry found she was a natural and was able to skip past the memory sorting stage, and went right into helping her set up the defenses. He even linked a backdoor from his own mindscape to hers, though he kept it dormant, preparing for the future. He did the same with each of his friends.

While finishing with Hermione, her avatar, a mental representation of herself used to navigate her mindscape, turned to him and she asked, "Harry? Erm…I have a question I'd like to ask you. Are you and Daphne an item or something, because she seems rather possessive of you. It's as if she sees other witches as competition and she is competing for your attention. She seems nice enough- nicer than some of those other cows I met whilst looking for Trevor, anyways- just be careful. I've seen her type before, and they never form friendships or pursue relationships with others without an agenda of some type in place. She has some kind of agenda and you seem to be central to whatever it might be. I may sound a bit jealous, but I just thought I'd take the time to warn you."

Harry laughed as he responded, "Hermione, I appreciate you taking the time to warn me and looking out for me so well, despite our lack of history. I have a feeling you will prove to be a great companion and have much to offer those who will be blessed to call you friend. Daphne is a pureblood elite. She has been groomed for politics and society since birth, so her methods may seem a tad Machiavellian in nature, but she really is rather nice once you get past the icy demeanor on the surface. I'm not looking for romantic attachments, as I am barely eleven years old, but if I were to begin choosing potential partners, knowledge of politics and social etiquette will be a part of the equation, but not the game-changer. Plus, we are on a train, bound for a school of magic! How bloody spectacular is that! We have seven years to navigate our way to our futures, and there is no telling what direction our lives may take, or with whom we may or may not find ourselves partnered. Relax and be friends with everyone you are able. Don't let petty people distract you along the way. I'm your friend, as is Neville. If Daphne chooses to keep herself distant, then that is her loss, and if she tries to push me in any direction I do not agree, you will find I am a bit more difficult to cage than she might anticipate."

Hermione laughed to herself as much to Harry as she answered, "You are absolutely correct! I have been letting myself get all worked up without realizing it! I have been so focused on Daphne that I missed the fact that I just made two new friends! Thank you, Harry!" She said the last as she leapt at him, hugging him to herself tightly, secretly relishing, even mentally as his current form was an avatar as well, the feeling of his hard muscles and the scent of his hair, like sunlight, fresh cut grass and a hint of spice- rather manly- and she felt herself begin to float away, daydreaming of girlish fantasies before quickly regathering her awareness and breaking away the embrace with a high-pitched squeak and madly blushing. The two then returned their awareness to the compartment.

Hermione would occasionally glance at Harry and blush as she darted her eyes whenever he would make eye contact. She was certain of two things in life- death and taxes, but now she had found a third thing- Harry James Potter. She was going to marry that boy one day!

Daphne was inwardly pleased that Harry had yet to dismiss her advances. She did not care for the little chipmunk who had latched onto her future husband's coattails at all. The bushy haired little know-it-all was trying her best to monopolize Harry's attention ever since she had arrived, but Harry seemed oblivious to it all. Daphne found herself daydreaming various scenarios in which Granger was exposed to various conditions, some humorous and some fatal. Daphne didn't exactly wish the witch any ill-will, but if a herd of hippogriffs happened to stampede over her, Daphne was certain she would not find herself overly shaken by such a turn of events.

Sure, Tracey was also trying her best to garner attention from the young lord, but Daphne was not going to let anyone interfere with her future, and her future definitely now included and revolved around a certain green-eyed teen wizard. She reveled in a daydream of a lavish manor, with green-eyed children and her Harry holding her closely and peppering her with tender kisses and whispering sweet nothings as they watched the children zoom about the pitch on their training brooms. She had been nestled against Harry's arm as closely as she could be without being too obvious, since Harry had yet to declare himself to her, and they had only met on the train. These of course, were things she planned to remedy rather quickly. Harry was going to be mobbed by hordes of witches soon enough, so Daphne needed to progress things as quickly as she could before she had too many other rivals to contend for the prize of being Harry's girlfriend. Unlike in the muggle world, in wizard society, dating was not a serial contest. Generally, if a couple became serious enough to declare themselves, then they tended to become betrothed and then married after graduation. It was rare for a couple to reach their twenties without marriage and even more so to reach their thirties without children. Wizards and witches tended to date maybe two partners to three partners within a lifetime, maximum, and sexual activities were reserved for partners after declaration, unless the witch wished to gather a reputation of sorts. Daphne had originally planned on meeting a few different boys and keeping them close so that by third year, she would have narrowed her selection to the top candidate, and then she would spend the rest of third year consolidating her position. By fourth year at Christmas Break, she planned on having a boyfriend. By fifth year, she planned on declaring and by sixth she would be betrothed. Then by the summer of graduation, they would be wed. After a few years of establishing careers, they would begin a family and Daphne would groom her husband for the political arena. After having met Harry Potter, those plans became accelerated. She would have to secure him as her boyfriend much sooner, or suffer the indignity of losing to a witch of lesser breeding. No matter the cost, Harry Potter would be hers! She silently smirked to herself as she continued to listen to a story Harry had been telling to entertain the group. She gasped and sniggered in all the right places, her internal musings covered by the mask she wore in public. She gently squeezed Harry's bicep as she playfully swatted his arm after he made an outrageous impression of some storybook character that only he and Granger recognized.

The fun and games came to a halt when Harry suddenly came to a pause before the door slid open and a rather unwelcome visitor made his presence known. Daphne hated the blonde ponce known as Draco Malfoy. He was such an arrogant git, who took delight in flaunting his supposed superiority over others and his presence carried with it an air of insult and contempt. Whenever they had crossed paths at the various social events, Daphne found herself wishing she had a wand to hex his bits off. He seemed to think his family name and his father's status would make him the most eligible suitor to any unattached witch of suitable age, and he had set his sights upon her. Despite his delusions of grandeur and his numerous attempts to allude to some future romantic arrangements for himself and Daphne, Daphne's friend Pansy Parkinson had a huge crush upon the Malfoy scion, and so Daphne would never poach, even if she was receptive to such a proposal. The arrogant and piggish voice of Draco Malfoy began with its usual formalities and not-so-thinly veiled insults, "I heard Harry Potter is on the train this year. Have any of you lot seen him, yet?" He nodded his head as he addressed the occupants of the compartment- those he seemed to recognize, "Greengrass, Davis. Always a pleasure. _Long_ bottom and- oh it's you, the mudblood and I do not believe we've had the pleasure of meeting." He gestured to his left and right to the two bookends that could only be Vincent Crabbe and Greggory Goyle, "The name is Malfoy. Draco Malfoy. This is Crabbe and Goyle. So have you? Seen him rather?"

Harry had gone icy cold at Draco's insult toward the bushy haired Granger. He simply looked over to us as if to beg pardon before standing. He put on a fake smile as he extended his right hand in a gesture of a handshake, "Draco Malfoy, is it? Well met, Heir Malfoy of the House of Malfoy. I have indeed seen the object of your search. I am Lord Harry James Potter of the House of Potter. I see you already are acquainted with my companions save Miss Granger here, who happens to be under my house protection. I am pleased to make your acquaintance and that of your associates. Is there something I or my companions may do for you, Heir Malfoy?"

Malfoy seemed to bristle at the mention of Granger being under house protection, but he kept his veneer of civility in place as he answered, "Why, no, Lord Potter, I simply wished to introduce myself and invite you to join my alliance once we are sorted. I must say that I am looking forward to life in Slytherin house, myself. Hope to see you there, and a word of caution, if I may: lose the riffraff. We individuals of position and authority must be charitable with our time and you'll soon find that some families are more…suitable for companionship than others. I can help you there!" He said the last as he returned the handshake Harry had extended to him.

Harry leaned in closely and whispered to Draco, "My thanks, Heir Malfoy, but I feel I have a fair grasp on selecting my friendships and acquaintances so far; however, should I find myself in need of direction, I will gladly seek the opinions of those better…equipped to assist me. I must say that I do not see myself using heritage as a means of filtering the worth of others, but if it works for you…"

Draco blanched for a moment before recovering, "Well, of course. I bid you welcome on your return to your rightful place Lord Potter, and again extend my hand in an offer of friendship between our two Houses. No need to answer immediately, just please do reflect upon my offer and let me know if ti meets your approval. Come Crabbe! Goyle! Let us return to our compartment as the train will be nearing the border and the Snack Lady will be coming soon. I'll buy you each some things when she arrives. Greengrass, Davis, _Long_ bottom and…Granger was it?"

The blonde ponce spun on heel and exited the compartment, Goyle sliding the door closed and offering a blush, a sheepish grin and a wave as he looked to Tracey and Granger. Daphne let out a huff as she exclaimed, "Argh! I cannot stand that pompous arse! Who does he think he is, coming to our compartment and interrupting like he owns the bloody Express or something! Honestly!"

Harry chuckled as he returned to his seat, patting her leg in a gesture that was more than likely supposed to be comforting, but only served to light every nerve-ending aflame as the electric spark jolted straight to her core, "Don't let him get to you Daphne. He's not really so bad once you strip away the pompous posturing and the insulting demeanor. It is not his fault he has a few too many close cousins in his family tree now is it?"

Neville snorted, while Hermione just began guffawing and Tracey damn near slid out of her seat with her sides hurting and tears of laughter streaming down her face. Harry shrugged and looked to Neville, "What? He does look rather like eating raisins might not be good for his health. I wonder if he might be part vampire? Pale, pasty albino-like skin, slicked back hair, a cape…I wonder if he could pull off a Slavic accent? He'd be a shoo-in for Dracula's nerdy little cousin who gets beat up by the other little monsters."

The Snack Lady came by soon and Daphne selected a few chocolate frogs and some Bertie Bott's Beans. She went to pay, but Harry quickly pushed her hand back before gesturing for the rest of the companions to choose. Tracey snagged her full pound bar of Honeyduke's Finest along with a few Cauldron Cakes and Pumpkin Pasties, whilst Neville snagged a few chocolate frogs. Harry then grabbed his selections and ordered a round of butterbeers for everyone. He promptly paid for the lot and then they sat about, snacking and teasing playfully. Daphne blushed as she whispered, "Thanks for getting us the snacks, Harry. We could have paid for ourselves, but the gesture did not go unnoticed."

Harry simply smiled as he responded, "Think no further on it, Daphne. As the only Lord in the room, it is my sworn duty to provide for the less fortunate souls around me." He said the last bit with a raspberry. Daphne rolled her eyes as she responded with a playful smack to the arm, "Really? Did you catch something from Malfoy earlier, because you are really starting to spout similar garbage? I guess it must be contagious! We must summon the Mediwitch! Next thing you know; you will start turning into a pasty blonde ponce!"

Harry snorted, "Perish the thought! Save me Daphne! You're my only hope!" The group laughed at the antics of the two as they all took turns imitating Malfoy. As they finished the last of their snacks, the warning whistle blew, signaling their approach to Hogsmeade Station. Daphne sobered up and looked at the two males in the compartment, "Gentleman, we will be arriving in less than ten minutes, so I suggest we all change into our robes. Harry, can you and Neville please help us get our trunks down and then let us change? You two can change in the wc."

Harry did his best Igor impression, "Yes, mistress! Right away! Come Neville! We must prepare for our arrival."

Harry gestured and all the trunks deposited softly on the floor. He quickly grabbed his robes and then closed the trunk, returning the trunk to its shrunken state and then placed it in his pocket. He waited for Neville and then did the same for him. The two boys exited the compartment and quickly donned their robes in the wc. They returned to the compartment just in time to catch a commotion from within.

"Well, Granger, if you know what is good for you, you really should try to be a bit less abrasive. Everyone is aware you are a muggleborn, so flaunting your intellect and using it to establish yourself will only lead to more resentment for some of the more…insular members of this society. One thing witches and wizards cannot stand is poaching. When a witch or wizard stakes a claim or interest in another wizard or witch, the rest of us must back off and allow he or she the chance to approach the intended and pursue before they can try their own luck. When someone does not heed the tradition, things can get rather ugly for the transgressor. If you find yourself desiring a more romantic relationship with another, you had best learn the proper way to stake your claim or you may be accused of poaching. My suggestion would be to find a likeable boy, establish a friendship and then drop subtle hints along the way. Find a way to be near him, without being clingy and then occasionally make physical contact, all the while innocently flirting and keeping him focused. Boys are not as quick to develop as we are, so they must be properly educated as to what they want. If we left it up to chance, we could end up with someone like you and Draco Malfoy, perish the thought! FYI, I am letting you know now, Harry is mine. I will defend what is mine. I am aware you might find him attractive, and he is very much so, but I saw him first. Find your own wizard, Granger. Last and final warning. Aside from that, I think we can be good friends. Harry seems to like you, so if he wants to be your friend, then that makes you my friend too."

Neville and Harry exchanged looks as Neville whispered, "Wow mate! Seems like they are already started establishing a hen-pecking. Daphne is a catch, but Hermione seems rather nice too. Seems like they both have a thing for you. Although I do wonder why Tracey has been so quiet. Usually she is the chatterbox and Daphne is the quiet one. Not sure why that is."

Harry shrugged, "Who knows? Witches. Daphne is a rather attractive prospect for certain, as is Hermione in her own way. I will neither encourage nor discourage either of them, nor any other witches we encounter who may or may not join our little group. I am not looking for anything right now. We are both way too young for all of that, but be careful Neville. I may be a Lord, but you are going to be one also one day. I have a feeling you will have very few problems finding a bird once you overcome your social fears. I will help you with that. I happen to have read that physical fitness is directly tied to magical prowess. Give me until we get back from Christmas, and I can have them fighting over you too."

Neville blushed as he grinned, "Sure! I always wanted to train myself up a bit, but Gran thought it would be too dangerous."

Harry snorted, "Hah! Neville we are men! We laugh in the face of danger! Come Neville! Let us manly specimens wow the dainty females with our manly awesomeness!"

The two boys returned to the compartment. As Harry sat next to Daphne again, he mentally projected a thought to Hermione, " _Nothing is set in stone, Hermione. Time will reveal all."_

He nearly gave himself away as the bookworm startled for a second before realizing what had happened.

Her mental voice had a peculiar taste of chocolate laced with cinnamon, " _So she has not 'claimed' you as she was stating before? That bitch! Does that mean you like me like_ __ **that** _?"_

Harry suppressed a mental face palm, " _No, not necessarily. It means I am not interested in pursuing romance. I am_ _ **only**_ _eleven for goodness sake! But if I_ _ **were**_ _to be interested you would be on a short list. I may not have known you for very long, but I can tell you have a kind and generous nature. That makes you attractive, in my mind, way more than any particular body type or looks. Daphne may be an attractive witch, but with me, personality is just as important if not even more so than looks. Just be my friend, for now. Eventually, if we are both ready for such a relationship and it is meant to be, then we will have that conversation then. I plan on delivering the same speech to her later by the way._

The train pulled into the station, slowly skidding to a halt, the brakes squealing softly as the engine slowed to a standstill billowing one last burst of steam before coming to a full stop. The whistle sounded and the passengers all disembarked. The prefects directed people to leave their belongings to the house elves and the upper year students began climbing into carriages. Suddenly Harry heard a booming voice call out "Firs' years! O'er here! Gather 'round will yer! Right you lot! No more than four to a boat!" They came around the corner to come face-to-face with a gigantic wooly man in a dark coat. He had bushy hair and a beard that allowed for his mouth nose and eyes to poke out of the dense black tangles. "I be Reubis Hagrid, Keeper o' Keys and Groundskeeper here a' 'Ogwarts! Firs' years climb into a boat, no more than four. I'll take the lead and we'll have yer up to the Sortin' Feas' in no time!"

The boats quickly filled with students and unfortunately for Tracey, she eneded up in a boat with Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle and another witch who Daphne called Pansy Parkinson, whilst Neville, Harry Hermione and Daphne were in the one behind them. Harry wondered why Ron had not approached him this time around, but he could not help but laugh at his former best mate having fell in the lake. He stood sputtering like a fountainhead before Hagrid looped back and scooped him into the boat. All manner of fish and algae ran out of his pockets as water dripped down his nose. Harry felt bad for the young wizard and silently sent a drying charm and a cleaning charm his way. As the procession of young wizards and witches slowly floated across the surface of the lake, they came around a bend and all manner of small talk ceased, replaced by exclamations of amazement. There in the distance was Hogwarts, its bastions alight with mystical lights and wonder. Harry felt his throat tighten as he choked back tears, the sight being one of such a bittersweet memory for him. Daphne and Hermione each grasped one of his hands and each gave him a comforting squeeze, sensing his distress.

The moment passed and the young teens were instructed to exit the craft and make their way to a chamber just outside what appeared to be a set of gates. Just as the last boat arrived, Hagrid pounded his ham-sized fists on the door. The gate opened and the familiar sight of Professor Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress, Head of Gryffindor House and Professor of Transfiguration set her narrow gaze about the crowd of first years. Her eyes softened as they fell upon Harry, and then Hagrid boomed out, "Prefesser, here are this year's firsties! All delivered safe an' sound, though young Weasley there took a bit o' a spill, but we righted 'im and fixed 'im up proper!"

Prof. McGonagall shook her head as she chuckled, "Well, as long as he got fixed up proper, as you said. Welcome students. I am Professor Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress, Head of Gryffindor House and Professor of Transfiguration. Here at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, we uphold the finest traditions and magical education one may find. Tonight you begin your journey into a world in which some of you may have been raised, whilst others have only begun to explore. Tonight you will be sorted into one of four houses, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Gryffindoor and Slytherin. Each of these houses have their own unique histories and traditions and can boast many famous witch and wizard belonged to its ranks whilst in school. Your house is your family and we support one another as such. I, as head of Gryffindor hope to see you there! My lions are known for their bravery and chivalry, whilst Ravenclaws are known for their pursuit of knowledge and academia, Hufflepuffs are known for hard work and loyalty, and Sytherins are the cunning and ambitious. Each house has a head of house, a faculty member dedicated to administering each house. I encourage each of you to get to know your Head of House and to report to him or her for any needs outside of class." As she spoke she had lead the teens through the gates and up a few stairs.

They passed through a hallway and some of the girls shrieked as they saw ghosts pass by, coming out one wall and passing through to the other side. Small talk began to buzz within the group as they began speculating who would be sorted where and how the deed would be accomplished. Ridiculous notions like troll wrestling and dueling competitions seemed to carry the weight of the conversations. Harry smirked to himself as his companions did the same. Daphne was about to ask his opinion before they were halted in front of a massive set of double doors. Prof. McGonagall waited for some pre-arranged signal and then opened the doors with a flick of her wand. She led the group of first years to an area to the left of center. Harry smiled as he saw the familiar tables of the Great Hall. He noted that every member of staff was the same as the last time. He grimaced slightly as he made eye contact with  
Snape and almost had to stun himself from attacking Quirellmort. Prof. McGonagall turned to the assembled staff and students, "I give you this year's batch of first year students!"

As they approached they noticed an old stool and a ragged hat set upon it. As if on cue the hat straightened itself and began to rap. **(AN: Sorry not going to invent a new song and too lazy to look up the one in canon)**

I have a few start of term notices I wish to announce. The first years please note that the dark forest is strictly forbidden to all students. Also, our caretaker, Mr. Filch," Dumbledore signaled to the ragged old man in tattered dingy clothes and carrying none other than bane of all rule-breakers, Mrs. Norris, the mangy red-eyed cat, whom the caretaker seemed to be absently stroking whilst he peered menacingly about the hall, as if daring someone to say something," has asked me to remind you that the 3rd floor corridor on the right hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a most painful death. Thank you."

The audience applauded and then Prof. McGonagall turned to the assembled firsties, "As your name is called, please come forward and approach the stool. Pick up the hat, sit down and place it upon your head. The hat will communicate with you for a bit and then it will shout your new house name aloud. Nothing discussed with the hat is privy to disclosure, so do not be afraid of it revealing your latest crush for everyone to hear. Now pip, pip, cheerio! Let's be on with it!" She picked up a roster and began, "Abbot, Hannah!"

A young witch with powder blue eyes and golden blonde hair in braided pigtails that hung to her waist tentatively hastened to the dais and lifted the hat from the stool, sat down, and then placed the talking accessory upon her head, it's faded color exterior showed signs of being quite fashionable in its time, though that time was over a millennium ago. At one point in time, Harry speculated it must have been some shade of scarlet or orange, but now it simply looked as though it were a light to medium brown color. After barely a minute, the hat cried out in its disembodied voice, "HUFFLEPUFF!" The young girl sheepishly removed the hat smiled at the assembled student body and the remaining first years, particularly a rather curvy ginger girl with deep blue eyes and a smattering of light freckles across the bridge of her nose and cheeks. Her hair was secured by a ribbon into a loose ponytail, which flowed down her back in cascading waves reaching well past her pertly round posterior, almost to the middle of the back of her thighs. She had stunningly feminine features and rosy lips, which were currently smiling at Miss Abbot, as apparently the two were fast friends. The ginger gave a thumbs up as Miss Abbot replaced the hat on the stool and then made her way toward one of the long tables, the one with all the students with the yellow and black accents on their robes and ties. As soon as the young witch left the dais, her uniform transfigured itself, matching the other students at what had to be the Hufflepuff table. The students of Hufflepuff had left an entire side of their table empty for the first year students; Harry surmised this was so that they could integrate the new students into their house culture. Hufflepuffs were diligent and loyal by nature, so Harry estimated that their emphasis would be on presenting a loving and nurturing environment to help the new members feel supported and encourage them to blossom under the sense of comradery and unity that such a culture would most likely foster. Harry doubted highly that he would enjoy such an environment personally, especially having been independent for so long, but he did see the merit of such a culture and felt it would be great for those whom it was best suited.

McGonagall called out the next name, "Bones, Susan!" The ginger, Miss Bones, whom Harry silent wondered if she was any relation to Amelia Bones, the current head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement (DMLE), approached the dais without the anxiety that Miss Abbot had shown, but still was blushing at being the center of attention. She repeated her friend's earlier actions and before the hat had even securely rested upon her head the hat shouted, "HUFFLEPUFF!" The witch in question quickly exited the stage and took the seat next to her friend at the Hufflepuff table.

Harry noticed the same trick with the school robes as had happened with Hannah. Usually in tune with his magic, Harry intellectually knew that the robes had been enchanted so that the sorting hat's cry would activate the final piece of the enchantment and permanently transfigure the robes to the house in question, whilst another part of the enchantment locked itself to the magical signature of its wearer, so future purchases, as the student grew and developed through his or her adolescence, would not need the sorting hat to speak. The student's magical signature was simply recorded in the Book of Names and his or her sorted house was listed, and an auxiliary book in both _Gladrags_ in Hogsmeade, and _Madame Malkin's Robes for All Occasions_ in Diagon Alley, simply listed the student's name and house affiliation. The enchantments would activate as soon as the magical signature keyed itself to the robe and after the sale was finalized, the enchantment would become permanent. The books were also enchanted so only the shopkeepers could see them.

McGonagall called out again, "Brown, Lavender!" A very curvaceous young witch took a deep breath as if to calm her nerves and then began to resolutely march up to the dais. She had blonde hair like Miss Abbot, but Miss Brown's hair was rather curly and a slightly lighter blonde, more of a goldenrod in hue. The girl in question had shoulder-length hair styled similar to Miss Bones, but her ribbon was lilac and she paused long enough to grin and flirt outrageously, using her eyes, with Harry, encouraging him to take notice of her and her grin only broadening and her eyes lighting up even further in intensity as he smiled back and gave a small wave. The young witch, after batting her lashes one last time and flipping her hair over her shoulder with a small shy glance back at Harry, blew him a kiss, winked and then sauntered to the dais, her hips swaying in that exaggerated female way that no straight man could ever hope to emulate, but loved to watch as they walked away.

Daphne seemed to be muttering under her breath and her grip on Harry's hand, which she was still holding, ever since he had helped her to shore from the boat. Harry kept waiting for her to tell him to let go or retract her hand from his, but he found the delicate and smooth texture of her skin intriguing and the warmth it provided made him feel a bit more comforted, as he was clamping his barriers down at full battle readiness from battling the complexities of the emotions swirling within his mind as he re-entered Hogwarts for the first time in almost three centuries combined with his efforts to block three of the most accomplished and skilled _legimens_ in Magical Britain, Dumbledork, Snape and Tommy Boy himself, kiting a ride on the back of Quirrell's head. Harry simply smiled, and squeezed Daphne's hand slightly harder for a moment in an attempt to calm the jealous witch's raging desire for violence and revenge upon the little blonde slag who had somehow managed to slight her. Harry was not quite sure why Daphne was so ready to curse Miss Brown, but he was fairly certain that one Miss Daphne Greengrass had already started to 'stake a claim' upon him. In his previous life, Harry, Hermione and Ron were sitting around the table sharing after dinner drinks with Luna Lovegood, the Patil twins and oddly enough Lavender Brown. Lavender had teased Harry about his track record dating whilst at Hogwarts. She had informed him that quite a few witches had wanted to drag him a broom closet and have go at riding the "golden broom" as she called it. She had tried to explain that the reason none approached him was that everyone knew that either Granger or Ginny had put the word that stake had been claimed. Apparently witches had developed a complex system amongst themselves for selecting boyfriend material and guarding the wizard in question from being poached. It was all rather complicated and though Harry could repeat the conversation verbatim, he never quite grasped the nuance and meaning of some of it. He figured one had to be a witch to fully appreciate it.

Harry had decided that this time around, he was not going to necessarily be a manwhore or anything, but he would not let himself be tied down until after he had finished Tommy. He would not be a Catholic monk or anything, but he would not try to get serious with any one witch until then. That plan died the moment he saw Daphne and Hermione again. Instead, he decided that building close friendships with various witches and exploring the possible romantic involvement with each one without making unfair promises or leading them on would be best.

However, he found himself equally drawn between Daphne and Hermione. He found himself wondering how he missed his feelings for the bushy haired young genius the first time around. He was certain he loved her as a sibling and that was all, but he found himself attracted to her in a romantic sense this time around. True, he knew her so much better than he did Daphne, but he found it strange that the intensity of the feelings was about the same. When it came time to begin dating, he was uncertain as to how he was going to choose between the two. They were both brilliant and terribly scary to anger. Each witch had her own quirks and idiosyncrasies and each was undoubtedly attractive, though Hermione had yet to blossom to her full physical potential, whilst Daphne had already begun maturing and was definitely more aware of how to use her looks and that she even had looks to use. Hermione was unaware as of yet as to just how beautiful she really was and would develop into a knockout soon enough. Daphne had the confidence in her femininity and reveled in its effects, whereas Hermione was still rather socially awkward and not too focused on her outward appearance.

Miss Brown lifted the hat and joined the lions of Gryffindor amid cheers. Her tie and crest reflected the crimson and gold of Harry's alma mater. She sat at an empty spot across from a set of ginger twins that Harry would never forget nor be able to repay for the fraternity and friendship they had granted him the first pass, and Harry would be seeking out the terrible two to cement an alliance as soon as he could approach them. The Weasley Twins were almost as legendary as the Marauders, whom they idolized and Harry from which was descended. They were stalwart allies and friends to those who proved themselves worthy and their friendship was well worth the effort to obtain.

The list went on and the crowd of first year students began to dwindle as each name was called. Terry Boot, Mandy Brocklehurst, Millicent Bullstrode, Vanessa Carrow, Victoria Carrow, Vincent Crabbe, Michael Corner, Tracey Davis, Josiah Entwhiste, Justin Fletch-Finley, Seamus Finnegan, Anthony Goldstein- Boot, Brocklehurst and Goldstein went to Ravenclaw; Bullstrode, both Carrows, Crabbe and Davis joined Slytherin; Entwhistle and Fletch-Finley went to Hufflepuff; and Finnegan joined Gryffindor.

McGonagall called out the next name, "Granger, Hermione!" Hermione had been holding Harry's left hand just as Daphne had been holding his right one, a fact not missed by the collective witches in the Great Hall and a sight not all that welcome to them if the thinly-veiled looks of distaste and jealousy were anything to judge. The young witch did her best to present a regal and calm exterior, something she had much practice doing as the daughter of a powerful Duke and member of the Peerage. She ascended the dais and lifted the hat to her bushy head. The hat took a great deal of time before shouting, "Unable to sort! I will sort this witch at the end!" Hermione blushed slightly before returning to her place next to Harry and tentatively slipping her hand back into his. The entire Hall was shocked into silence at that proclamation and even Professor McGonagall seemed taken slightly aback before regaining her composure.

She cleared her throat softly and continued, "Well, we are certainly in for a few surprises this year I see! Nothing to be done about I surmise, so, pip, pip! Greengrass, Daphne!" Daphne released Harry's hand after a reassuring gentle squeeze, before firmly adopting her political mask and ascending the dais. She approached the stool and after lifting the hat, she sat poised upon the stool and cooly placed the hat upon her head. After what seemed like some sort of debate between her and the hat, the hat declared, "Slytherin!" Daphne removed the hat and replaced it upon the stool before joining her friend at the table of green and silver with the rest of the snakes.

The sorting then continued uninterrupted by any further strange happenstances until Harry and Hermione were amongst the last to be sorted. Gregory Goyle, Denise Hightower, Stephanie Jacobs, Jillian Kingston, Thurston Little, Neville Longbottom, Morag MacDougal, Ernie Macmillan, Draco Malfoy, Lily Moon, Esther Marchbanks, Cecilia Nightshade, Theodore Nott, Jennifer Ollivander, Brian Ogden, Stephen Oglesby, Pansy Parkinson, Pavrati and Padma Patil, and Sally Anne Perks- Goyle, Malfoy, Nott and Parkinson went to Slytherin; Hightower, Jacobs, Kingston, Macmillan and Ogden went to Hufflepuff; MacDougal, Ollivander, Oglesby and Padma Patil went to Ravenclaw; and Little, Moon, Nightshade and Pavrati Patil to Gryffindor.

"Lord Potter, Harry James!" Harry sent a reassuring pulse of magic and a gentle squeeze of his hand to each of the two witches currently trying to break the respective hand to which she was clinging, as his name was called, before boldly striding to the dais and lifting the hat to his head, not bothering to sit.

He felt the slight pressure of the hat trying to establish its mental link through his extensive occlumency barriers. Harry mentally opened a small portcullis in his wall and quickly welcomed the hat's consciousness into his mindscape before closing the opening and bricking it over like it was never there. He could not afford to leave it open with the likes of Dumbledore, Quirrell or Snape, who would undoubtedly sense the weak point and try to interfere or eavesdrop. He could not afford anyone to learn of his true secrets until much later in the game, preferably after Tommy Boy took his final dirt nap.

" _Ah…Lord Emrys-Peverell-Slytherin-Gryffindor-Potter…so many titles for such a young…oh my Godric and Merlin's baggy y-fronts! You do not hesitate to surprise me…your hold over those two witches is already so strong…no matter. You are entitled to choose between Slytherin or Gryffindor lord quarters as a Founder's Heir, as well as a few other little fun things you may never have known from the last pass, which I will reveal to you at a later time. I see you have the mark of destiny upon you, but clearly sit outside of it. You will be destined for many great things! Be strong, as your future is still, once again, riddled with darkness and challenges, but at least the rewards this time around, should you be successful, will be much better. Heather told me to tell you to seek friendship with the Bones girl and the Weasley twins for the map early, that way you can find Peter and get him to the proper authority before someone of less scruples or a hidden agenda can silence him, thus freeing Sirius. The key to finding the first artifact may be hidden in the Black Library, though it is your job to find the clue and solve the first riddle yourself. So it better be… 'FOUNDING LORD CHAMBERS! Miss Greengrass and Dame Granger being under familiar protection of the Houses Potter and Gryffindor, will be under his care as Lord Protector. These students are exempt from the House Cup save for the quidditch competition, in which they are eligible to tryout and join a team if the team captain wishes to allow them. Once a member of a team if they are selected, any points they earn or lose will be attributed to that house as if he or she was a member of said house. Detentions, when or if necessary will be approved or declined by Lord Potter for Miss Greengrass and Dame Granger. If declined, Lord Potter must provide an alternative punishment in writing to the Headmaster or Deputy within a week or Lord Potter himself will be held accountable and the original terms of detention would fall upon his responsibility to serve! That is all!"_

Harry mentally made note of the look of shock upon Dumbledore's face as the hat completed his speech. He also did the same of the thinly-veiled hatred and disgust which crept onto the face of Quirrell and Snape looked as if he had just tasted troll dung in his food. _Good times…good times._

He then left the dais to sit a small round table that had appeared at the rear of the hall. Hermione and Daphne both joined him, their robes and ties reflecting the colors of House Potter and each bearing its crest over their left breast, whilst their own family crest appeared over the right, marking them as under House Protection. The rest of the student body was still stunned as they took their seats and waited for the few remaining students to be sorted.

Josias Selwyn, Zacharias Smith, Lisa Turpin, Ronald Weasley, Dean Thomas, and finally, Blaise Zabini- Selwyn and Zabini went to Slytherin; Turpin to Ravenclaw; Smith to Hufflepuff and finally Weasley and Thomas to Gryffindor.

At this, Dumbledore stood to speak, "Welcome!" he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!"

Upon that a lavish feast appeared in front of them and they began to sample the various dishes, some students making pigs of themselves, especially Ron. Harry inwardly chuckled to himself about how some things would never change. The ginger in question had heaped his plate full of so much food, that it barely fit, and was currently racing the house elves to see if they could keep the platters filled faster than he could banish the food down his gullet, in a complete disregard for anything resembling manners, a fact that Harry overheard Malfoy making a crack at, seeing how the Slytherin table was close to the Potter table and the first years had all been forced to sit at the front of the tables. Malfoy was never one for much subtlety when he was younger, so naturally he was not exactly quiet with his observation of how a family that wallowed in the mud as much as the Weasleys would naturally raise a wizard to be a pig or wondering if it were perhaps the other way around, and then loudly speculating as to the parentage of the boy in question due to his mother's reputed lack of restraint in all matters pertaining to the bedroom and allusion that poverty may have led to some of her "activities" even suggesting that for a bit of pocket change, even muggles could have a go. To that last statement, the majority of the Slytherin table either openly snorted or tried with little effort to hide or mask the amusement they had found at the young pompous pureblood's antics.

Harry had to clamp down on his barriers to keep from hexing the pathetic toerag and blasting him through the windows of the Great Hall, as Molly Weasley had been like a surrogate mother to him, and Malfoy was insulting the memory of someone whom in Harry's opinion was a cut above as a mother. He may need Malfoy's connections and family name to help him achieve his goals, but the blonde poncy git had a long way to go before he grew into the partner Harry had bled beside, joked with and befriended once the War had concluded.

The two had buried the proverbial hatchet as it were and remained close friends until Draco passed on from battle wounds from a demon the two had been forced to take down while investigating a group of dark wizards who had been kidnapping muggle virgins from nearby universities and secondary schools. They had used them in a dark ritual to summon a demon, but the demon had broken free of the containment diagram and turned on those who had summoned it. The gory bits and pieces of their remains were splattered on the walls or stuck rotting in its teeth. The demon was still rather weak, as the magical backlash from it being forced onto the new plane of existence made the demon incapable of surviving without consuming a vast number of mortal souls, though magical victims tended to be of a greater potency, thus witches and wizards were the ones most at risk from such an entity. Harry had used the Elder Wand to collapse the rune array powering the demon gate, while Draco had been firing Blizzard Hexes, Purification and Exorcism Jinxes, as well as a few family spells designed by an ancestor who had delved into necromancy and became a Dark Lord.

None of the spells had a significant impact on the demon, other than keeping it focused on coming after the annoying one. Harry had never quite been able to drive away his memories of how Draco had screamed when the Demon had ripped Draco's still-beating heart from the blonde ferret's chest and then after mangling it by squishing it in his scaly clawed hand, consumed the flesh, whilst simultaneous roasting Draco alive from the inside out. The demon seemed to swell as it fed upon its victim's agony, and even seemed to relish in the fact that the wizard was unable to die while held under the demon's mercy.

Harry had mercifully cast a silent cutter and then transfigured the decapitated corpse into stone. He then used his new and improved version of "Prongs The Patronus" to purify the evil from the demon. This effectively destroyed the demon altogether, though Harry had taken samples of various body parts and blood, as the ingredients could be useful in certain potions, rituals and warding schemes. He was careful to take all of the samples before Prongs had finished annihilating it as once the demon was vanquished, the parts would hold no value as their natural magical state will have been altered beyond repair, thus rendering them useless for the applications Harry had in mind.

After a while, the feast moved onward to the dessert portion and again Harry and the girls sampled a few dishes, but refrained from overindulgence. Dumbledore stood once again and the plates vanished as if they had never been present. The only clue that there had been a meal, was the goblets of pumpkin juice, water or in the case of the staff, a nice kip of brandy or wine.

Dumbledore stood again, his aged visage glowing with mirth as he grinned benevolently at the assembled students and staff, looking much as a kindly grandfather as he addressed the audience in the Great Hall, suddenly clapping his hands together loudly, "Settle down, children! Now," he waved a hand and the tables were completely clear and the torches flared briefly before settling to their normal intensities, lending a soft orange glow to Great Hall as the wizened headmaster continued his parting speech, "in all my long years, I have studied avenues of magic long forgotten or lost to many. I have, as an educator, politician and even as a leader of a small fraction of individuals who dedicated themselves to opposing the darkness, seen so many terrible, wonderful and even a few blends of both things which magic can accomplish. None, however, has quite the power of music. Let us now sing our school song, the tune is whatever you wish, the words are quite easy to follow. With that having been said, let us begin our year together by joining in making magic as old as time, music!" ( **AN: Again not looking to list the actual song as I found it a collection of nonsensical nothing and pointless to plot progression.** )

After the song died down, the Weasley twins being the last to finish, as the two pranksters had selected a funeral procession to arrange as their tune, Dumbledore smiled again and then spoke, "Ah, nothing quite like the sound of youthful spirit to motivate these ancient bones…I bid you all welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and leave you with one parting request: the friends one makes in these halls could very well be the ones that mean the difference between walking the path of light or surrendering to the shadows of darkness. Be careful of where you may follow, and remember to trust in your instincts. Magic has a rather…interesting way of speaking to us and warning us of dangers which could lie ahead. On a lighter note though, have fun, learn to do your best and become the best witch or wizard you can be! Prefects! Take charge of the first years and escort them to their new dormitories. Staff! A general staff meeting will commence in approximately an hour. See to your new charges and welcome the others, then meet me in my office. Lord Potter and party, please remain here and we will see to your arrangements. Goodnight and Welcome to Hogwarts!"

Afterwards Harry was amused to see the chaos that was the Sorting Ceremony and Opening Feast was just as hectic when watching from the outside as it had been whilst actively being a part of it. Once all the competing shouts for first years to assemble, they had been escorted out of the hall to their respective common rooms. However, as the staff quietly faded from the room, Harry and the girls found themselves alone with Dumbledore, Snape and McGonagall. Dumbledore and McGonagall seemed to be almost ecstatic seeing the trio together holding hands, whereas Snape looked as if someone had put dungbombs in his mouth and let them explode. He seemed torn between wanting to say something snide and keeping his mouth shut in an attempt to observe.

Dumbledore quickly began, "Lord Potter, it is a pleasure to see you amongst us once more. I apologize for having to place you with those awful muggles, but unfortunately I had no other recourse. The war had just ended and there were so many Death Eaters and sympathizers we had to try to root out. We were afraid if we let you live with a wizarding family, that one or more of those unscrupulous individuals may have sought to abduct you in revenge for your defeat of their master. I determined that the best way to keep them from their goal was to hide you amongst the muggles and I thought your aunt would have been more than happy to honor Lily by agreeing to care for you. I was, unfortunately wrong. The ancient wards I used to protect you were tied to your mother's bloodline as it was she who sacrificed herself to power whatever protections saved you that night. Whilst the wards did stop at least thirteen separate attempts to either abduct or harm you in the first three years, they did not protect you from the harm you received within the walls of your home. For that I am truly regretful. I did send people from time to time to check on you and make certain you were not being hurt, but none of the reported any signs of abuse, thus I never personally followed up, which again was a failure on my part. I only hope you can forgive an old man his arrogance and belief in family. I never thought she would have stooped so low. I assure you, Lord Potter, you will never need to see those monsters again unless you should so choose."

Harry took in the admission of guilt and processed it. The confession made his plans for dealing with Dumbledore shift to a more pleasant and workable one, to which Harry inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. Having to alienate one of the most powerful wizards of all time was not something harry had been looking forward, especially since a part of him always looked up to the man as surrogate grandfather, and Harry liked to have thought Dumbledore saw him as a surrogate grandson in return. True, Harry was still upset over some of the manipulations he had lived through last time, but Dumbledore seemed genuine in his confessed remorse, so Harry decided to reevaluate his plans at a later date. 

Harry simply dismissed it with a shrug, "No sweat, Headmaster. We all make mistakes, and you sound like you did everything you could to minimize what happened. You will find I am not really one to hold a grudge. You owned up to it and are making plans to make amends. Moving forward, I would like to just leave that past in the past. On a side note, I understand that all of you knew my parents quite well, and would love to schedule time to discuss anything you can remember about them as my aunt certainly never did tell me anything. She told me they were useless layabouts who died in a drunken car crash, leaving me to the tender mercies of Uncle Vernon. Hagrid told me about the truth, but there a few things I have questions about. Would you be willing to answer them at some point in the future?"

Dumbledore smiled, "Why of course, young Harry, I may call you Harry, correct?"

Harry nodded in acquiescence before the aged wizard continued, "Excellent! Ah and a welcome to both of you as well Miss Greengrass and Dame Granger. I see like his father, young Harry wastes no time. I must, however warn you that this turn of events may make it a bit difficult to make new friends, but I think we can find a way to counter that. I believe granting you permission to allow friends to visit the common room will sweeten the deal." Each witch thanked the headmaster and then kept silent in the background as etiquette demanded that only the Lord Protector address the staff unless directly questioned, and even then, Harry could choose to respond first.

Well Harry, my boy, Ladies! Let us escort you to your new quarters."

With that, they were escorted to a tapestry featuring the Potter Crest. The tapestry was enchanted like the platform at King's Cross, only Harry and the girls could enter with no one present, and guests could enter if permission was granted only when the quarters were occupied by their inhabitants. The witches' quarters were charmed so Harry could enter in emergencies, but an alarm would trigger in the headmaster's office and record the time and length of the visit. The headmaster did not mention that once the trio came to their fifth year, those protections would relax as the original purpose of the quarters was to house the various ladies of the house, be them mistresses, wives or siblings, thus making such protections invalid as they violated statutes pertaining to line theft, interfering in House governance and in the case of siblings were largely unnecessary, exceptions being certain pureblood families who tended to keep it all in the family, persay.

The staff then left instructions on how to set, update or invalidate passwords and permissions keyed to the level of trust or authority. For example, as headmaster, Dumbledore had unrestricted access, save during showering, dressing or undressing. That exception could be overrode in the event of danger, but for the sake of propriety protected the ladies from embarrassing moments. Similarly, McGonagall had the same access as Deputy. Professors had access only when accompanied by either the headmaster or the Deputy unless accompanied by two other professors and the Headboy or Headgirl. Headboy and Headgirl had access only when accompanying the professors or when someone was present in the quarters. Prefects could only enter in pairs and no one else could enter without permission being granted first. As lord Potter, Harry could alter the permissions of all save Dumbledore and McGonagall as security dictated otherwise.

Dumbledore and company departed for the night and the trio was left alone in their new common room. Harry could sense the tension in the room building to levels so thick, he could reach out and cut it with a knife. Daphne and Hermione were not happy to be forced to live together, or at least it seemed to Harry. "So…Ladies…I fancy we should have a bit of a chat before retiring for the night, wot?"

 **AN: What a behemoth! Sorry for the delay in posting, but last week was hectic in rl for me, preparing for surgery and all to repair my hernia. I would love to see a few more reviews, but seems how this my first project in almost 5 years and I failed to complete the first two…I promise now I will not abandon this one. I may go back and revamp the others but for now, my focus is on this work alone. No distractions. I will try to post once a week by Sunday evening. Reviews are welcome. Flames will be sent to the Rainbow Coalition, or a backyard grill where they belong.**


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